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Hrask 


IGEANT  HALLYBURTON, 


CAPTURED  IN  THE  WORLD  WAR 


By  CHAS,  W.  HYAMS 


Library  of 
The  University  of  North  Carolina 


COLLECTION  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINIANA 


ENDOWED  BY 

JOHN  SPRUNT  HILL 

of  the  Class  of  1889 


QiB-UlS^k 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/sergeanthallyburOOhyam 


SERGEANT  HALLYBURTON, 

THE  FIRST  AMERICAN  SOLDIER 

CAPTURED  IN  THE  WORLD  WAR 


BY 

CHAS.  W.  HYAMS. 


PRICE  $1.00 


PIXIE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 

MORAVIAN  FALLS,  N.   C. 

1923 


COPYRIGHT,  1923 

BY    GEORGE    B.    HALLYBURTON. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  L 
Boyhood  Days   .......:.......,.....*...,     9 

CHAPTER  EL 

Soldier  In  America  ........................  15 

CHAPTER  III, 

In  France  With  Pershing 24 

CHAPTER  IV, 

Interesting  Matters 36 

CHAPTER  V, 

Back  Home ., 47 

CHAPTER  VL 

Private  Frank  C.  Hallyburton 71 


DEDICATED 

To  the  patriotic  father,  who  never  had  a  feeling  of 
fear,  and  the  venerable  mother  who  placed  her  trust 
in  God,  when  two  of  their  sons  were  called  upon  to 
risk  their  lives  "for  the  peace  of  the  world,"  with  a 
feeling  of  pleasure,  pride,  and  admiration,  we  gladly 
dedicate  this  little  volume,  believing  it  will  prove  a 
solace  to  them  during  their  declining  years. 

The  Author 


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

The  author  desires  to  extend  his  sincere  thanks  to 
Miss  Grace  I.   Gish  of  Roanoke,   Va.,  for  much 

valuable  aid  in  the  preparation  of  this  little  volume. 


SERGEANT    EDGAR    M.     HALLYBURTON. 


CHAPTER  I 

BOYHOOD  DAYS. 

SERGEANT  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton,  the  first 
American  soldier  captured  in  the  World  War, 
is  a  son  of  Mr.  George  B.  Hallyburton  and 
Mrs.  Prudence  Hallyburton.  He  was  born  in  Iredell 
County,  North  Carolina,  January  19,  1890,  just  27 
years,  9  months,  and  14  days  before  he  was  captured, 
but  not  conquered,  by  the  blood-maddened  hosts  of 
an  infuriated  Kaiser.  Even  while  a  mere  lad  it  was 
characteristic  of  him  to  take  the  lead,  and  almost 
invariably  to  excel  in  the  games  and  sports  peculiar 
to  that  period  of  life.  He  was  always  a  favorite 
with  his  playmates,  and  this  was  due  largely  to  his 
wit,  humor,  keen  sense  of  right  and  wrong,  courtesy, 
kindness,  justice  and  impartiality.  He  enjoyed  the 
privileges  and  blessings  of  a  typical  Southern 
country  home  where  each  child  is  taught  from 
infancy  to  speak  the  truth,  be  strictly  honest,  bold, 
brave,  fearless  in  the  face  of  threatened  or  imagi- 
nary danger,  obey  their  parents  in  all  things,  at  all 
times,  in  all  places,  and  under  all  circumstances,  to 
love  their  native  land,  and  revere  the  Almighty. 
Young  Hallyburton  is  of  Scotch-Irish  decent  and 


IO      LI1<E  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.   HALLYBURTON 

this,  no  doubt,  accounts  for  the  fact  that  even  as  a 
boy  he  was  full-sized,  well-built,  open-faced,  with 
heavy  brows  and  brilliant  eyes.  Having  spent  all 
his  young  days  on  the  farm,  naturally  he  was  rug- 
ged, healthy,  resolute,  and  of  a  friendly  disposition. 
He  was  an  unusually  accurate  shot  with  a  gun,  and 
when  only  ten  years  of  age,  was  awarded  first  prize 
for  being  the  surest  shot  in  the  neighborhood.  It 
might  truthfully  be  said  of  him  that  he  idolized  a 
gun  from  the  hour  that  he  was  first  old  and  strong- 
enough  to  hold  one  in  his  arms,  and  this  fascination 
for  fire-arms  was  prophetic  of  his  successful  and 
wonderful  career  as  a  soldier  later  on  in  life  which 
will  be  seen  by  a  further  perusal  of  the  history  of 
his  career  as  a  soldier.  As  a  marksman,  this  young 
soldier  in  the  making,  seldom  missed  a  shot,  and 
it  made  no  material  difference  to  him  how  fleet- 
footed  the  rabbit  or  squirrel  might  be,  or  how 
swift  winged  the  quail  might  soar,  their  greatest 
speed  simply  meant  death  if  they  came  within  range 
of  his  trusted  gun.  We  are  writing  at  some  length 
about  his  attachment  for  his  gun  because  it  may 
well  be  called  a  vital  thing  in  his  life,  and  he  carried 
it  with  him  wherever  his  parents  would  permit  him, 
and  with  Edgar  it  was  a  means  to  an  end,  and  that 
end  was  the  fascinating,  romantic,  and  sometimes 
tragic  story  which  is  to  follow.  Many  remarkable 
feats  of  marksmanship  are  told  of  him  in  the  neigh- 
borhood where  he  was  born  and  reared,  but  want 


BOYHOOD    DAYS  I  I 

of  space  forbids  mentioning  them,  and  we  realize 
that  our  readers  are  more  than  anxious  to  learn 
about  his  romantic  career  as  a  soldier,  fighting 
under  the  Stars  and  Stripes  for  Uncle  Sam  along 
the  Mexican  border  and  ''Somewhere  in  France." 

Owing  to  the  active  out-door  life  he  lived,  while 
a  boy.  we  attribute  his  rapid  development  into  a 
strong,  robust  man.  with  broad  shoulders,  expanded 
chest,  and  hardened  muscles,  well-fitted  and  quali- 
fied for  the  exacting'  duties  of  a  soldier. 

Before  closing  this  chapter,  it  is  but  appropriate 
that  a  brief  outline  sketch  of  the  home  of  our  dis- 
tinguished soldier  be  given.  It  was  a  substantial, 
modest,  three-room  cottage,  situated  a  little  back 
from  the  public  road  on  a  slightly  rounded  knoll 
with  a  rolling  lawn  shadowed  by  great  hickories 
and  giant  oaks,  and  this  was  beautified  by  a  hedge 
of  blooming  rose-bushes  which  completely  sur- 
rounded the  lawn.  Two  large  grape-vines,  full  of 
luscious  fruit  might  be  seen  at  each  corner  of  the 
house  which  trailed  up  over  the  windows  and  form- 
ed an  awning  of  ample,  cooling  shade  over  the  door. 
Here  we  find  the  old-time  smokehouse  made  of 
logs,  full  of  hams,  shoulders,  middlings,  and  other 
good  things  to  eat.  As  is  quite  common  in  this 
section  of  the  country,  we  must  go  down  a  slight 
hill  before  we  find  the  shaded  spring  and  spring- 
house.  This  little  home  of  ice-cold  butter  and  milk 
is  made  of  logs  and  covered  with  clap-boards,  floor- 


12      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.   SALLYBUR'fON 

ed  with  white  sand  through  which  a  small  stream 
of  icy  water  flows,  and  in  this  channel  we  find 
crooks  of  delicious  milk,  jars  of  luscious  cream, 
and  bowls  of  wholesome  butter,  all  appetizing  and 
good  enough  to  adorn  the  table  of  a  king,  and 
satisfy  the  appetite  of  a  queen.  It  can  be  truthfully 
said  of  Sergeant  Hallyburton  that  whether  as  a 
boy,  a  young  man,  a  civilian,  or  soldier,  he  always 
wore  the  white  flower  of  a  gentleman,  and  no  one 
has  ever  become  acquainted  with  him  but  what  they 
learned  to  admire  him  for  his  sterling  traits  of 
character. 

Sergeant  Hallyburton  received  his  education 
at  the  Stony  Point  High  School,  from  which  he 
graduated  with  honors.  The  high  esteem  in  which 
he  was  held  by  teachers  as  well  as  schoolmates  is 
attested  by  the  fine  tribute  from  the  pen  of  the 
principal,  which  occurs  on  another  page.  During 
his  school  days,  Sergeant  Hallyburton  was  chosen 
captain  of  the  football  and  baseball  teams  of  his 
Alma  Mater,  and  he  was  a  leader  in  the  literarv 
societies  over  which  he  often  presided,  and  his 
splendid  voice  was  frequently  heard  in  the  debates 
which  took  place  on  numerous  occasions.  One  of 
his  school-mates  remarked  a  few  days  ago  that  so 
far  as  his  courage  went,  young  Hallyburton  might 
well  have  been  called  "the  bravest  of  the  brave," 
always  to  be  found  championing  the  cause  of  right, 
and  defending  the  weak  against  the  strong  in  those 


BOYHOOD   DAYS  1 3 

fist-cuffs  peculiar  to  boyhood.  Even  in  his  younger 
days  Young  Hallyburton  was  always  courteous  and 
ever  ready  to  defend  the  opposite  sex.  He  always 
showed  profound  respect  for  old  age  and  no  time 
was  time  too  valuable  or  sacrifice  too  great  for  him 
to  devote  to  those  whose  hair  had  been  silvered  by 
the  frosts  of  Time.  His  youthful  attachments  for 
firearms  undoubtedly  forecasted  his  fame  as  a 
soldier  while  fighting  under  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 
If  he  had  his  whole  career  to  live  over,  I  doubt  if 
he  would  change  it  one  iota.  An  unflinching  and 
uncompromising  friend  himself  he  knew  how  to 
value  the  friendship  which  others  gave  him,  and  the 
fact  that  he  made  so  few  enemies  (outside  of 
Germany)  is  an  honor  of  which  anyone  might  well 
be  proud.  Always  obedient  to  his  parents  from 
infancy,  it  naturally  followed  that  he  would  obey 
orders  coming  from  his  superior  officers,  even 
though  those  orders  carried  him  through  the  hell- 
holes called  German  Prison  Camps.  To  the  boy  or 
young  man  who  reads  the  history  of  Sergeant 
Hallyburton's  life,  it  must  prove  an  inspiration  to 
lead  him  on  to  higher  ideals  and  nobler  purposes, 
fitting  such  a  one  (should  the  occasion  arise  for 
action)  for  a  name  and  place  high  up  on  the  temple 
shaft  of  Fame.  Such  a  boy  will  see  in  the  life  of 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  how  it  is  possible  for  even  a 
ploughboy  to  reach  to  the  highest  pinnacle  of 
Honor,    and    receive    from    the    President   of    the 


14      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.   HALLIBURTON 

United  States,  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army, 
a  Distinguished  Service  Medal,  and  from  the 
highest  officers  in  the  army,  letters  of  highest 
praise,  loftiest  commendation,  and  superior  honor. 
Well  may  he  be  held  up  as  a  model  for  other  boys 
and  young  men  coming  after  him  to  follow,  know- 
ing that  each  and  every  effort  they  put  forth  while 
following  in  his  footsteps  will  be  crowned  with 
success,  and  handed  down  to  future  generations  to 
lavish  praise  upon.  Surely  he  is  a  model  well  worth 
imitating. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  the  Hallyburton 
family  consisted  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hallyburton,  two 
daughters,  Misses  Lola  and  May,  four  sons,  Edgar, 
Elbert,  Frank,  and  William.  At  this  writing, 
Sergeant  Halliburton's  parents  are  living  quietly 
at  Taylorsville,  North  Carolina,  enjoying  the  rest 
they  have  so  deservedly  earned. 


CHAPTER  IL 

SOLDIER  IN  AMERICA. 

EDGAR  M.  Hallyburton  enlisted  when  only 
igV2  years  old  in  the  Regular  Army,  July  4, 
1909.  He  was  sent  to  the  Coast  Artillery  at 
Fortress  Monroe  where  he  remained  for  about  two 
years.  He  was  then  transferred  to  Galveston,  Tex., 
where  he  remained  about  six  months.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Fortress  Monroe,  and  remained  there 
until  the  close  of  his  first  enlistment,  when  he 
re-enlisted,  and  was  sent  to  San  Francisco,  where 
he  was  placed  in  the  Infantry.  He  remained  there 
about  a  year,  and  then  was  sent  to  the  border  at 
El  Paso,  Texas,  where  he  remained  until  the  close 
of  his  second  enlistment.  After  a  stay  of  one  month 
at  home,  he  returned  to  El  Paso,  and  enlisted  in 
Company  F,  16th  Infantry.  Just  a  short  while 
after  this,  President  Wilson,  as  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  American  Army,  ordered  General 
Pershing  to  form  a  flying  squadron  composed  of 
his  bravest  soldiers  and  to  proceed  to  the  Mexican 
border  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  Villa  and  his 
followers.  In  carrying  out  this  order,  Young 
Hallyburton,  then  a  private,   was  one  of  the  first 


1 6   LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

to  be  called  and  elevated  to  rank  of  Sergeant. 
Acting  upon  orders  from  his  commanding  officer, 
Sergeant  Hallyburton,  with  his  scouts,  mounted  on 
fleet-footed  army  horses,  proceeded  to  cross  the 
Rio  Grande'  which  is  the  border-line  between  the 
United  States  and  Mexico.  Once  upon  Mexican 
soil,  both  scouts  and  steeds  found  the  sky  clear,  the 
air  still,  and  the  sun  hot.  Both  scouts  and  steeds 
were  covered  with  dust.  The  latter  snorted  as  it 
formed  like  icicles  on  their  noses.  All  grew  thirsty 
— a  thirstiness  .that  was  all  the  more  acute  because 
there  was  no  water  in  sight — not  so  much  as  a 
place  that  looked  as  if  there  might  be  water.  A 
little  after  noon  Sergeant  Hallyburton,  riding  to 
the  top  of  a  lava  mound,  adjusted  his  field-glasses, 
and  scanned  the  landscape.  He  discovered  what 
seemed  to  be  faint  smoke  rising  from  a  string  of 
hills  about  a  mile  away.  Announcing  his  discovery, 
Hallyburton  started  on.  Finally,  arriving  on  the 
brow  of  the  hills,  he  looked  down  on  a  cliff-walled 
valley  in  which  he  saw  a  primitive  Mexican  village. 
In  the  center  of  this  village,  the  bake-oven  of 
medieval  pattern  was  sending  up  a  feeble  smoke. 
Slipping  down  a  burro  and  goat  path  into  the 
village,  they  found  the  Mexicans,  men,  women,  and 
children.  Sergeant  Hallyburton  asked  them  about 
water  for  the  horses,  and  in  answer,  one  rose  and 
walked  out  telling  him  in  broken  English  that  he 
might  have  a  few  bucketfuls  that  came  out  of  a 


SOLDIER  IN    AMERICA  1 7 

common  barrel.  The  Sergeant  told  them  to  give 
the  horses  all  they  would  drink.  In  a  few  minutes 
the  horses  were  ravenously  eating,  coffee  was  sim- 
mering on  the  fire,  and  tin  cups  and  plates  rattling. 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  studied  the  Mexican  situation 
and  became  convinced  that  rural  Mexico  lived 
largely  independent  of  the  market.  Their  dirt 
houses  were  small  and  tight,  hence  needed  but  little 
fuel  to  keep  them  warm  through  the  winters. 
Eurros  and  goats  lived  the  year  around  on  wild 
grasses  and  brush,  hence  saved  the  expence  of  pro- 
viding food  and  shelter.  In  conversation  with  one 
of  the  men  who  could  make  himself  understood  in 
English,  the  Sergeant  learned  that  they  were  all 
friends  of  Villa  upon  whom  they  looked  as  their 
Moses.  By  three  o'clock  the  horses  were  in  silent 
rest,  and  the  scouts  lying  on  the  ground.  But  a 
call  from  the  Sergeant  brought  them  all  to  their 
feet.  All  filed  across  the  valley — some  of  them 
as  if  they  would  never  stop.  Coming  up  out  of 
the  valley,  they  reached  the  open  plateau,  and  con- 
tinued west  until  the  sun  was  sinking,  and  it  was 
time  for  them  to  turn  in  for  the  night.  Darkness 
prevented  them  from  seeing  their  way.  and  their 
horses  weary  from  long  travel,  they  found  a  clump 
of  cedars  a  short  distance  away  and  under  these 
they  wrapped  themselves  in  their  blankets  and  went 
to  sleep  on  the  ground.  Next  morning  when  they 
awoke  half-frozen  and  hungry,  they  mounted  their 


1 8      LIEE  OE  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.   HALLYBURTON 

horses  and  resumed  their  journey,  vainly  looking 
for  a  village  where  they  could  get  food  and  water, 
but  none  was  in  sight.  But  they  did  see  a  lonely 
maverick  grazing  side-deep  in  the  sage  brush, 
which  they  proceeded  to  kill  with  a  shot  from  one 
of  their  rifles.  They  soon  dressed  and  cooked 
their  prize,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  fragrance  of 
broiling  beef  steak  was  filling  the  desert  air.  When 
their  one-course  breakfast  was  over,  they  went  on 
through  the  increasing  heat  and  dust.  The  previ- 
ous days'  sameness  was  broken  only  by  hills  and 
gorges.  On  and  on  they  went,  deeper  into  the  wild. 
Everything  in  the  wild  was  perfectly  motionless 
and  silent.  By  this  time  the  horses  were  fairly 
reeling,  with  watering  eyes  and  swollen  tongues. 
Starting  down  the  gorge  to  find  a  slower  grade 
out,  every  horse  listened  intently/  then  lunged  down 
the  grade  champing  and  frothing.  Soon  they  came 
upon  a  little  water-mill,  beyond  which,  in  a  cotton- 
wood  grove,  stretched  a  typical  Mexican  village. 
Switched  from  the  smell  to  the  sight  of  water,  the 
horses  lunged  on  down,  and  soused  their  noses  into 
the  creek.  In  the  meantime,  Sergeant  Hallyburton 
dismounted,  and  handed  his  rein  to  a  comrade, 
then  he  walked  up  into  the  little  mill  house.  Right 
away  the  mill  slowed  down  to  a  stop,  and  the  water 
roared  more  loudly  over  the  dam.  Soon  he  and 
the  old  miller  came  out,  and  proceeding  down  the 
path  to  the  foot-log,  joined  the  horsemen,  and  all 


SOLDIER    IN    AMERICA  19 

went    up    Main    street — an    alley    through    burros, 
goats,   geese,   and   ducks — into   a  corral  of   adobe. 
Amid   great    neighing   and    whinnying,    they   gave 
their  horses  great  armfuls  of  corn  and  alfalfa  hay. 
They   now    awaited    dinner    on    the    miller's    lawn. 
This  gave  Sergeant  Hallyburton  an  opportunity  to 
study    Mexican    country   life    on    a    much    broader 
scale  than  he  had  done  before.      Not  long  after- 
ward the  old  miller  came  out  and  invited  them  into 
his    whitewashed    adobe    house    and    seated    them" 
around    the    makeshift    table.      When    dinner    was3 
over,    they   returned   to    seats   on   the    lawn.      The 
horses  now  having  rested,   the  men  saddled  them' 
and  disappeared,  going  out  a  wood  road  through' 
an  unknown  country  in  a  vain  and  fruitless  search"' 
for  Villa.     After  many  days  and  nights  of  weari-7 
some  traveling  over  rugged  hills,   across  malariaT- 
streams,    and   uncultivated   valleys,    still   failing   tri; 
see  or  hear  anything  of  a  reliable  nature  as  to  the; 
where-abouts    of    the    notorious    Villa,     Sergeant1 
Hallyburton  and  trusted  scouts,  worn  out  in  body-' 
and  mind,  finally  returned  to  camp,'  and  reportel<?F 
their   failure   to   General   Pershing.      Shortly  after-1 
the  occurences  enumerated  above.  Sergeant  HaH'v-' 
burton   and   his   squad,    in   company   with   a   larg-e1 
number    of    other    soldiers,    were    transferred1  iLito.; 
El  Paso  Tex.,  to  guard  the  city.     From  this  fiodit 
they  were  soon  sent  back  to  the  states,  eventuaffjf 
to  sail  with   the   first  contingent  of  the   Americtfr 


20      LIFE  0E  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

Expeditionary  Forces  under  General  Pershing  to 
France,  there  to  fight  for  the  peace  of  the  world. 
It  is  not  necessary  or  appropriate  that  the  causes 
which  led  up  to  America's  entrance  into  the  World 
War  be  stated  in  our  sketch  of  Sergeant  Hally- 
burton.  This  duty  properly  belongs  to  the  pen  of 
some  other  historian,  and  to  that  one  we  leave  it, 
knowing  that  it  will  be  written  by  impartial  pens. 
Through  all  the  years  of  his  service  as  a 
soldier,  whether  "a  private  in  the  rear  rank"  or 
as  an  officer,  Sergeant  Hallyburton  was  spoken  of 
by  all  his  comrades  as  eager  and  unafraid.  He 
was  one  of  the  great  brotherhood  in  uniform  with 
the  fighting  password  "All  for  one  and  one  for  all." 
He  shared  their  pains  and  privations,  their  ad- 
ventures in  front  lines  and  in  rest  places,  and  they 
knew  him  with  the  knowledge  that  men  have  when, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  they  face  death  together. 
He  was  known  to  all  America,  in  whose  cause  he 
fought  with  impassioned  impulse.  It  might  wel] 
be  said  of  him  that  he  is  the  man  called  Million, 
upon  whose  broad  shoulders  rests  the  rule  of  the 
Government.  He  was  the  significant  symbol  of  the 
rear  rank  private  and  the  commanding  officer  who 
made  victory  possible.  His  jubilant  antagonism 
overthrew  the  aged  power  of  Prussia,  and  the 
joyful  alacrity  with  which  he  went  to  battle,  over- 
whelmed the  Empire  which  had  staked  its  life  on 
the  ancient  law  of  the  jungles.    He  always  fought 


SOLDIER  IN   AMERICA  21 

with  a  great  hope  stirring  in  his  heart.  He  was 
assured  that  he  would  battle  in  the  war  against 
war;  that  his  steadfast  service  would  help  make 
the  world  of  the  future  safe  for  democracy.  He 
knew  that  the  overthrow  of  the  divine  right  lord 
of  war  would  make  of  mankind  something  better 
than  cannon  fodder,  and  the  world  a  better  place 
in  which  to  live  and  love.  He  relied  upon  these 
principles,  and  scorned  the  muddled  motives  and 
subtle  sophistries  of  those  with  sinister  interests  to 
serve.  He  gladly  gave  his  best  to  prove  his  de- 
votion to  this  holy  cause,  the  highest  and  best  cause 
the  mind  of  man  can  conceive — the  common  good 
of  the  world.  In  the  World  War,  Sergeant  Hally- 
burton  knew  nothing,  perhaps,  of  dogma,  but  he 
knew  his  duty,  and  performed  it  to  the  uttermost 
whether  on  the  quiet  tented  fields  at  home  or  facing 
the  fearful  crash  of  shot  and  shell  on  a  foreign 
battle-line.  He  may  not  have  been  familiar  with 
creeds,  but  he  had  an  unsurpassed  courage  ir. 
deadly  danger.  He  was  not  a  student  of  doctrines, 
but  he  was  steadfast  in  devotion  to  his  Flag,  the 
symbol  of  all  the  noble  ideals  he  knew.  He  could 
not  define  sanctification,  perhaps,  but  he  could  de- 
fine service  by  living  it  in  camp  and  field  of  battle. 
He  could  not  express  his  inner  being  in  words, 
perhaps,  but  he  could  prove  their  nobility  with  his 
works.  He  could  not  orate  lip  praises  of  righteous- 
ness, but  he  could  give,  and  would  have  given  his 


22       LlEE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.   HALLYBURTON 

life  for  it  in  a  turbulent  and  terrible  time.  He  had 
that  faith  which  oversweeps  all  fears  and  leaves 
one  satisfied. 

Wherever  patriotism  is  valued,  wherever  valor 
is  admired,  and  wherever  the  English  language  is 
spoken,  the  name  and  fame  of  our  hero  will  be 
mentioned  in  burning  words  of  eloquence,  and  as 
Time  grows  older,  and  unborn  generations  come 
upon  the  field  of  action,  men,  women,  and  children 
will  read,  and  learn,  and  speak  of  Serg-eant  Hally- 
burton  and  the  unmatched  courage  and  unsurpassed 
valor  which  characterized  every  act  of  his  life  while 
a  soldier  of  the  United  States,  whether  at  home  in 
time  of  peace  or  on  the  shell-torn  battlefields  of  a 
foreign  land  where  he  fought  so  valiantly  for  the 
peace  of  the  world,  and  that  democracy  should  not 
perish  from  the  hearts  and  minds  of  men  of  all 
nationalities.  Surely,  at  the  last,  this  patriotic 
soldier,  faithful  at  all  times  and  under  all  cir- 
cumstances, secure  in  his  own  cause,  in  a  sudden 
gleam  of  insight,  will  know  and  understand  the 
immortal  hope  which  lights  the  warriors  way  from 
dark  to  Deity.  He  was  in  no  sense  an  unknown 
soldier^  but  one  known  to  father  and  mother,  to 
comrades,  officers,  to  Country,  and  to  God.  His 
final  resting  place,  when  Death  shall  touch  his 
heart,  will  be  a  "pillar  of  cloud  by  day,  and  a  pillar 
of  fire  by  night"  to  guide  America  along  the  Golden 
Rule  pathway  to   the  promised   land   of   enduring 


SOLDIER   IN    AMERICA  2$ 

peace.  His  name  shall  sound  like  the  call  of  a 
trumpet ;  the  name  of  one  who  fought  that  the 
world  might  live  in  peace,  the  first  American  soldier 
"captured  but  not  conquered"  in  the  World  War. 


CHAPTER  in. 

IN  FRANCE  WITH  PERSHING. 

EDGAR  M.  Hallyburton  was  promoted  from  a 
private  to  a  Sergeant  while  in  Mexico  with 
General  Pershing',  and  retained  that  position 
while  in  France.  He  sailed  for  France  with  the 
First  Division,  Co.  F,  16th  Infantry.  Immediately 
upon  the  arrival  of  the  First  Division  upon  French 
soil,  it  was  put  to  work  in  the  trenches.  It  may 
prove  interesting  to  give  a  brief  sketch  of  trench 
life.  On  account  of  the  trying  work  in  the  trenches, 
frequent  changing  of  men  is  customary,  when 
possible.  Usually  they  were  marched  out  of  the 
trenches  in  the  dark,  their  feet  wet  and  muddy 
clothes  clinging  to  them.  From  a  military  stand- 
point, the  experience  gained  by  the  Americans  is 
considered  of  a  very  high  value.  The  First  Division 
had  only  two  clear  days  while  in  the  trenches. 
When  they  left  the  trenches  they  were  mud  from 
their  hats  to  their  shoes.  Before  anything  else, 
they  required  a  bath,'  first  with  gasoline  and  then 
water.  With  the  men  back  in  billets,  it  is  now 
permitted   to   mention   for   the  first  time    (says   a 

24 


IN  FRANCE  WITH  PERSHING  25 

dispatch)  that  the  casualties  were  negligible.  In 
fact  more  men  suffered  with  "trench  feet"  than 
with  wounds.  "Trench  feet"  means  that  the  feet 
become  swollen  and  sore  from  standing  in  mud  and 
water  in  the  trenches.  Officers  commented  on  the 
remarkably  small  amount  of  sickness  which  de- 
veloped. There  were  some  who  had  colds,  but  as 
far  as  reported,  there  were  less  than  half  a  dozen 
cases,  including  "trench  feet"  and  pneumonia.  An 
officer  said  the  splendid  physical  condition  of  the 
men  was  responsible  for  this  showing. 

The  men  who  served  in  the  trenches  tell 
interesting  stories  of  their  experiences.  On  clear 
days  especially,  German  snipers  became  active. 
Bullets  went  singing  harmlessly  overhead.  Ameri- 
can infantrymen  were  told  oft  to  attend  any  sniper 
who  became  active,  and  more  than  one  of  them 
will  snipe  Americans  no  more.  This  game  of 
sniping  the  sniper  was  very  popular  with  our 
soldiers.  The  only  complaint  usually  heard  was 
that  there  was  not  enough  snipe-shooting  to 
satisfy  the  infantrymen.  Plenty  of  "our  boys"  say 
they  went  out  to  snipe,  but  did  not  get  enough. 
Immediately  after  this  trench  training,  our  hero 
with  a  small  detatchment  was  sent  to  a  sector  of 
the  first-line  trenches.  It  was  at  this  point  where 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  and  his  squad  were  located 
that  the  German  artillery  dropped  a  heavy  barrage 
fire    which    completely    isolated    them    from    help. 


26      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

A  dispatch  under  date  of  November  5th  says: 
A  small  detatchment  of  American  infantrymen  was 
attacked  in  the  front  line  trenches  early  Saturday 
morning, '  November  3rd  by  a  much  superior  force 
of  German  shock  troops.  The  Americans  were  cut 
off  from  relief  by  the  heavy  barrage  in  their  rear. 
They  fought  gallantly  until  overwhelmed  solely  by 
numbers.  The  fighting  in  the  trenches  was  hand- 
to-hand.  It  was  brief  and  fierce  in  the  extreme. 
As  a  result  of  the  encounter,  three  Americans  were 
killed,  namely,  Private  Thos.  F.  Enright,  Private 
Jas.  B.  Gresham,  and  Private  Merle  D.  Hay,  and 
four  were  wounded,  these  being  Private  Jno.  J. 
Smith,  Private  Chas.  J.  Hopkins,  Private  Homer 
Givens,'  and  Private  Geo.  I.  Box.  A  sergeant,  a 
corporal,  and  ten  men  were  taken  prisoners.  Two 
French  soldiers  who  were  in  the  trenches,  also  were 
killed.  The  enemy  lost  some  men,  but  the  number 
is  unknown,  as  their  dead  and  wounded  were 
carried  off  by  the  retiring  Germans.  From  the 
beginning  of  the  engagement  to  the  end,  the 
Americans  lived  up  to  all  the  traditions  of  the 
American  army,  the  records  showing  the  bravery 
of  the  detatchment,  and  of  individual  members. 
The  German  raid  on  the  American  trench  was 
carried  out  against  members  of  the  second  con- 
tingent entering  the  trenches  for  training.  These 
men  had  only  been  in  a  few  days.  Before  dawn 
Saturday,  the   Germans  began  shelling  vigorously 


IN  FRANCE  WITH  PERSHING  2J 

the  barbed  wire  front  of  the  trenches,  dropping 
many  high  explosives  of  large  calibre.  A  heavy 
artillery  fire  was  then  directed  so  as  to  cover  all 
the  adjacent  territory,  including  the  passage  lead- 
ing up  to  the  trenches,  thereby  forming  a  most 
effective  barrag'e  in  the  rear  as  well  as  in  the  front. 
The  young  lieutenant  in  charge  of  the  attachment 
of  Americans  started  back  to  the  communicating 
trenches  to  his  immediate  superior  for  orders.  The 
barrage  knocked  him  down,  but  lie  picked  himself 
up  and  started  off  again.  He  was  knocked  down 
a  second  time,  but.  determined  to  reach  his  ob- 
jective, got  up  again.  A  third  time  he  was  knocked 
down,   badly  shell-shocked,  and  put  out  of  action. 

Soon  after  that,  Germans  to  the  number,  ac- 
cording to  the  report,  of  210  rushed  through  the 
breaches  and  wire  entanglements  on  each  side  of 
the  salient,  their  general  objective  barrage  in  the 
forefield  having  lifted  for  a  moment.  The 
Germans  went  into  the  trenches  at  several  points. 
They  met  with  stout  resistance.  Pistols,  grenades, 
knives,  and  bayonets  were  freely  used. 

For  many  minutes  there  was  considerable  con- 
fusion in  the  trenches,  the  Germans  stalking  the 
Americans,  and  the  Americans  stalking  the  Ger- 
mans. In  one  section  of  the  trench,  an  American 
private  engaged  two  Germans  with  the  bayonet. 
That  was  the  last  seen  of  him  until  after  the  raid, 
when  a  dead   American   was   found   on   the   spot. 


28      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBUR'fON 

Another  was  killed  by  a  blow  on  the  head  with  a 
rifle  butt  from  above. 

Some  of  the  Americans,  apparently  at  the 
beginning  of  the  attack,  did  not  realize  just  what 
was  going  on.  One  of  the  wounded,  a  private,  said, 
"I  was  standing  in  a  communicating  trench,  wait- 
ing orders.  I  heard  a  noise  back  of  me,  and  looked 
around  in  time  to  see  a  German  fire  a  gun  in  my 
direction.     I  felt  a  bullet  hit  my  arm." 

The  Germans  left  the  trench  as  soon  as 
possible'  taking  their  dead  and  wounded  with  them. 
An  inspection  showed,  however,  that  they  had 
abandoned  three  rifles  and  a  number  of  knives  and 
helmets. 

The  raid  was  evidently  carefully  planned,  and 
American  officers  admit  that  it  was  well  executed. 
As  a  raid,  however,  there  was  nothing  unusual 
about  it.  It  was  such  as  was  happening  all  along 
the  line.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  Ger- 
mans were  greatly  surprised  when  they  found  the 
Americans  in  the  trenches  instead  of  the  French. 

The  French  general  in  command  of  the 
division  of  which  the  American  detatchment  form- 
ed a  part,  expressed  extreme  satisfaction  at  the 
action  of  the  Americans,  for  they  fought  bravely 
against  a  numerically  superior  enemy,  the  handfull 
of  men  fighting  until  they  were  smothered. 

The  officer  who  had  charge  of  verifying  the 
accounts  of  this  raid  says,  "I  am  proud  to  say  that 


IN  FRANCE  WITH  PERSHING  20, 

our  men  engaged  in  the  fight  did  everything  within 
their  power.  They  jumped  into  the  fight  and  stuck 
to  it.  In  the  first  place*  the  troops  had  been  in 
the  trenches  less  than  three  hours  when  the  barrage 
of  the  Germans  began.  They  had  marched  a  good 
part  of  the  previous  night  and  were  tired.  Some 
of  them  were  allowed  to  go  to  sleep  in  a  dugout 
25  feet  under  ground.  When  the  barrage  began, 
these  men  did  not  hear  the  racket.  It  is  apparent 
that  the  first  they  knew  of  it  was  when  the  Germans 
started  throwing  grenades  down  upon  them.  It 
was  these  men  who  were  taken  prisoner,  but  they 
fought  well,  even  when  surprised  that  way,  for  the 
dugout  was  covered  with  blood,  especially  the  top 
half,  showing  that  the  Germans  there  must  have 
been  hit.  The  entrance  to  the  dugout  also  gave 
indications  of  close  hand-to-hand  fighting. 

"From  the  dugout  through  the  trenches  and 
over  the  top  through  the  barbed  wire  and  well  into 
No  Man's  Land  there  was  a  wide,  red  trail.  How 
much  of  it  was  American  and  how  much  German 
blood  is  not  known." 

It  was  during  this  raid  that  our  hero,  Sergeant 
Hallyburton,  was  the  first  American  soldier  to  be 
captured^  but  never  conquered,  by  the  Germans. 
After  his  capture,  Sergeant  Hallyburton  was  sent 
to  various  prison  camps  in  Germany.  The  treat- 
ment that  he  and  his  companions  received  at  the 
hands  of  their  captors  is  enough  to  make  the  blood 


30      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.   HALLYBURTON 

of  any  true  American  boil  with  undying  and  eternal 
hatred  for  the  German  officers.  Sergeant  Hally- 
burton  summed  up  in  a  few  words  the  kind  of  food 
they  received.  "It  was  nothing  more  than  slop. 
We  would  have  fed  it  to  the  hogs  at  home.  I 
passed  seven  months  at  Tuchel.  It  was  a  strafe 
camp  and  a  hell-hole  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
We  were  hitched  to  a  wagon  like  horses  and 
forced  to  draw  wood  fourteen  kilometers  (about 
seven  miles)  all  day  long.  Dirty  German  guards 
were  constantly  insulting  us  at  the  point  of 
bayonets.  We  wore  wooden  shoes,  and  for  socks 
we  used  a  winding  fabric  and  paper.  Scantily 
clothed  and  half-starved,  we  pulled  our  wagons 
through  snow  last  winter  that  was  about  to  our 
knees.  There  were  eighteen  Americans  in  Tuchel. 
I  had  written  Post  Cards  to  the  Red  Cross  from 
each  town  we  had  been  in  previous^,  but  they  could 
never  have  been  sent,  for  no  answer  was  received 
until  four  months  after  we  reached  Tuchel.  It  was 
then  (March  12,  19 18)  that  the  first  Red  Cross 
parcels  arrived.  These  parcels  saved  our  lives.  If 
we  had  been  forced  to  continue  two  months  longer 
on  the  prison  food  and  under  the  harsh  treatment, 
I  am  certain  most  of  us  would  have  died  of 
starvation." 

Sergeant  Hallyburton  and  his  companions 
were  transferred  to  Rastadt  on  August  14,  1918. 
There  were  about  500  American  prisoners  in  the 


IN  FRANCE  WITH  PERSHING  3 1 

camp  at  that  date.  When  Sergeant  Hallyburton 
and  his  companions  first  reached  Rastadt^  they 
organized  and  demanded  that  the  Sergeant  be 
given  command  over  all  the  American  prisoners. 
They  were  so  persistent  that  the  Prussian  general 
gave  his  consent.  At  this  point  they  also  decided 
to  demand  better  treatment.  They  had  noticed  that 
the  Germans  had  a  distinct  treatment  for  prisoners 
of  each  nationality.  Russians  and  Roumanians 
were  treated  like  dogs,  or  worse,  and  were  being 
slowly  starved.  British  were  treated  somewhat 
better,  and  the  French  best  of  all.  Americans 
were  new  in  Germany,  and  no  standard  of  treat- 
ment had  been  established  for  them.  The  Germans 
had  started  the  Americans  on  the  same  plan  as  the 
Russians.  Hallyburton  and  his  comrades  began 
establishing  an  American  standard.  They  made 
him  leader,  and  agreed  to  stick  by  him  in  anything. 
They  summed  up  their  position  thus :  "We'll  soon 
die  on  this  anyway;  we  should  have  died  at  the 
front,  and  we  can't  die  better  than  by  demanding 
that  we  be  treated  as  Americans." 

Hallyburton  first  ordered  them  to  clean  up  as 
best  they  could,  then  he  demanded  in  the  best 
military  way,  to  see  the  camp  commander.  He  saw 
him,  and  declared  that  the  Americans  must  be 
treated  better,  and  refused  for  them  to  do  further 
wood-hauling.  He  told  the  Prussian  he  could 
either  line  the  Americans  up  and  shoot  them  or 


32      LIFE  OE  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

comply  with  their  demands.  The  commander  was 
furious,  but  the  Americans  hauled  no  more  wood. 
They  were  moved  to  Rastadt,  and  their  food  im- 
proved, Red  Cross  packages  arrived  and  were  dis- 
tributed evenly.  Ultimatums  and  demands  were 
made  in  a  soldierly  way,  with  increasing  force  as 
the  Americans  established  their  standing.  The 
Americans  were  careful  to  be  diplomatic  and  just 
in  their  demands. 

Their  camp  became  a  model.  Hallyburton  had 
a  commander  of  each  barracks  to  see  that  every 
American  kept  his  clothes  cleaned  and  his  shoes 
blacked.  Every  salute  had  to  be  snappy  and  correct. 
The  Americans  gained  a  special  barracks  by  de- 
manding them.  Under  Hallyburton's  orders,  these 
were  cleaned  twice  a  day.  They  were  better  than 
those  of  the  German  guards. 

Then  came  the  fight  against  German  propa- 
ganda. They  were  publishing  a  paper  in  Berlin 
called  "America  in  Europe."  It  was  distributed  in 
the  prisons  and  over  American  lines.  The  sheet 
was  written  by  Germans  who  had  lived  many  years 
in  America  and  who  could  use  American  slang. 
When  the  first  issue  appeared,  the  editor  came  to 
Rastadt,  and  interviewed  Hallyburton,  representing 
himself  as  appointed  to  look  after  Americans  be- 
cause of  his  sympathies  for  them.  He  was  told 
the  paper  would  be  welcome  if  it  would  cut 
out    the    propaganda    and    print    sporting    news. 


IN  FRANCE  WITH  PERSHING  33 

This  was  agreed  to  by  the  "friend  of  Americans." 
Next  week  he  appeared  with  the  new  issue 
somewhat  revised  to  suit  the  Americans.  The 
German's  clumsy  efforts  were  amusing*,  but  Hally- 
burton  saw  danger  in  the  propaganda  still  in  the 
paper.  He  forbade  its  circulation  among  those 
under  his  command.  For  this  our  hero  was  taken 
to  a  punishment  camp.  His  stay  was  short.  The 
Germans  placed  an  incapable  American  in  charge 
of  the  Rastadt  camp,  who  immediately  muddled 
affairs.  The  several  hundred  prisoners  struck,  and 
insisted  that  Hallyburton  be  returned.  The  Ger- 
man commander  complied  with  the  request. 

On  his  return,  Hallyburton  was  called  up  be- 
fore General  Von  Kalteureit,  the  hard-hearted  old 
Prussian  in  charge  of  prisoners.  Several  hundred 
new  Americans  had  been  gathered  at  Rastadt,  and 
the  general  granted  Hallyburton  charge  over  them, 
leaving  the  old  group  under  the  incapable  sub- 
stitute. Hallyburton  refused,  but  offered  to  take 
charge  of  the  entire  camp.  The  old  Prussian 
argued,  but  ended  with,  "Ach,  Gott,  go  ahead.  If 
you  don't  get  along  all  right,  let  me  know."  The 
general  had  given  himself  away  with  that  state- 
ment made  before  the  prison  officers.  Hallyburton 
and  Geohegan  went  to  the  General,  or  threatened 
to,  for  everything  they  needed  after  that.  Again 
our  hero  had  propaganda  plans  to  fight.  The  Ger- 
mans had  treated  certain  captives  well  in  order  to 


34      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

influence  them  to  write  letters  saying  they  had  not 
been  mistreated.  Some  letters  were  too  favorable 
to  the  Germans,  so  Hallyburton  established  a  cen- 
sorship pen.  He  knew  the  Germans  were  waiting 
for  favorable  letters  to  publish. 

Another  battle  against  propaganda  was  against 
an  individual  named  Enders,  who  claimed  to  be 
American,  and  the  correspondent  of  an  American 
news  agency.  He  appeared  several  times  at  the 
camp  saying  he  was  gathering  data  to  prove  that 
Americans  were  not  mistreated  in  Germany,  and 
that  he  had  been  "permitted"  to  do  so  by  the  Ger- 
man government.  Hallyburton  told  Enders  he  had 
better  leave  camp  before  some  of  the  "dough-boys" 
"insulted  your  German  friends  by  telling  the  truth." 
Enders  left,  and  never  returned  for  more  data. 

When  the  armistice  was  signed,  the  German 
guards  suddenly  left  the  camps.  Those  who  re- 
mained were  lenient,  and  told  the  Americans  that 
prisoners  were  free  to  go  to  towns  and  do  as  they 
pleased.  Hallyburton  saw  danger  in  this,  if  the 
men  became  mixed  up  in  revolutionary  measures. 
It  would  also  further  complicate  their  food  ar- 
rangements with  the  Red  Cross,  and  so  orders 
were  issued  for  every  man  to  stay  in  camp  and  do 
his  work. 

By  this  time  each  man  had  been  assigned  to 
some  sort  of  work  for  which  he  was  adapted. 
There   were   tailors,    shoe-makers,   barbers,    cooks. 


IN  FRANCE  WiTH  PERSHING  35 

and  practically  every  type  of  industry  needed  in 
camp,  including  a  staff  for  the  camp  paper,  which 
was  copied  by  hancf,  cartoons  included,  and  posted 
for  reading. 

The  order  was  difficult  for  many  men  to 
understand,  but  it  was  adhered  to  by  practically 
every  one.  Next  came  the  orginization  of  train- 
loads  of  men  to  leave  for  France.  One  by  one 
these  problems  were  met,  and  the  soldiers  were 
assisted  by  Red  Cross  men  who  arrived  from 
Switzerland.  The  Red  Cross  men  were  amazed 
at  the  organization  the  doughboys  had  accomplished 
in  every  camp,  and  found  the  native  population  in 
districts  around  the  American  prison  camps  full  of 
admiration  for  the  way  our  boys  had  handled  them- 
selves under  difficulties  and  without  authority.  The 
reader  will  find  numerous  citations  from  various 
sources  describing  in  detail  the  experiences  of 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  before  and  during  his  cap- 
tivity. As  will  be  seen  further  on,  Sergeant  Hally- 
burton lost  no  time  after  the  armistice  was  signed 
before  he  left  that  blood-soaked  and  devastated 
land  for  the  peaceful  and  happy  home  of  the  pure 
and  the  brave. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

INTERESTING  MATTERS. 

SERGEANT    Hallyburton's    first    letter    home 
reads  as  follows: 
Darmstadt,  Germany, 
December  31,    1917. 
"Dear  Father : 

"Will  write  you  a  few  lines.  I  am  well  and 
all  right. 

"Write  the  First  National  Bank  of  El  Paso, 
Texas,  and  tell  them  to  put  my  money  on  interest 
in  savings  department  until  they  hear  from  me. 

"I  will  see  you  after  the  war  is  over.  Tell  Jim 
and  Mae  to  write  me.     Also  Bub. 

"Also  tell  the  bank  I  am  here  and  don't  know 
when  I  will  get  back,  but  to  put  all  my  deposits  to 
my  credit  on  savings,  and  give  them  my  address 
and  tell  them  to  send  me  a  statement  of  balance. 

"Well,  I  will  close  for  this  time,  and  will  write 
you  again  soon. 

"With  love  to  all, 
"Your  son, 
"Edgar  M.  Hallyburton, 
"20th   Company,   5th   Battalion, 
"Darmstadt,  Germany." 

36 


INTERESTING  MATTERS  37 

While  at  Tuchel,  West  Prussia,  Sergeant 
Hallyburton  on  June  10,  191 8,  wrote  his  father  a 
short  message  on  a  post  card  used  by  prisoners  of 
war,  as  follows : 

"Dear  Father : 

"Am  well  and  getting  on  fine. 
"I  receive  mail  from  you  regular,  and  write 
you    once    every    week.      Do    you    hear    from    me 
regular?     Will  close  for  this  time,  hoping  to  hear 
from  you  soon. 

"With  love, 

"Your  son." 

Germans  Taunt  Us. 

The  news  comes  from  Berlin  that  the  German 
news- papers  "played  up"  in  headlines  the  capture 
of  the  American  soldiers;  one  news-paper,  the 
"Lokal  Anzeiger",  published  in  Berlin,  under  the 
caption  of  "Good  morning,  boys,"  the  following: 

"Three  cheers  for  the  Americans!  Clever 
chaps  they  are,  it  cannot  be  denied.  Scarcely  have 
they  touched  the  soil  of  this  putrified  Europe  when 
they  are  already  forcing  their  way  into  Germany. 
Before  long  they  will  cross  the  Rhine,  and  also 
enter  our  fortresses.  That  is  express-train  speed 
and  American  smartness. 

"It  is  our  good  fortune  that  we  are  equipped 
to  receive  and  entertain  numerous  guests,  and  that 


38      LIFE)  OF  SEARGFNT  EDGAR  M.   HALLYBURTON 

we  shall  be  able  to  provide  quarters  for  these  gentle- 
men. However,  we  cannot  promise  them  dough- 
nuts and  jam,  to  this  extent  they  will  be  forced  to 
recede  from  their  former  standard  of  living.  They 
probably  will  become  reconciled  to  this,  for  soldier- 
ing is  a  very  risky  business.  Above  all,  they  will 
find  comfort  in  the  thought  that  they  are  rendering 
their  almighty  President,  Mr.  Wilson,  valuable 
services,  inasmuch  as  it  is  asserted  he  is  anxious  to 
obtain  reliable  information  concerning  conditions 
and  sentiments  in  belligerent  countries.  In  this  way 
he  will  obtain  first-hand  information  about  things 
in  Germany. 

"As  Americans  are  always  accustomed  to 
travel  in  luxury  and  comfort,  we  assume  that  these 
advance  arrivals  merely  represent  couriers  for 
larger  numbers  to  follow.  We  are  sure  the  latter 
will  also  come  and  be  gathered  in  by  us.  At  home 
they  believe  they  possess  the  biggest  and  most 
colossal  everything,  but  such  establishments  as  we 
have  here,  they  have  not  seen. 

"Look  here,  my  boys!  Here  is  the  big  firm 
of  Hindenburg  &  Co.,  with  which  you  want  to 
compete.  Look  at  its  accomplishments,  and  con- 
sider whether  it  would  be  better  to  haul  down  your 
sign  and  engage  in  some  other  line.  Perhaps  your 
boss,  Wilson,  will  reconsider  his  newest  line  of 
business  before  we  grab  more  of  his  young  people." 

The  above  bit  of  news  was  no  doubt  edifying 


INTERESTING  MATTERS  39 

to  our  boys,  and  clearly  showed  them  how  dense 
was  the  fatal  ignorance  of  the  German  government 
so  far  as  its  knowledge  of  the  wonderful  part 
America  and  American  soldiers  were  to  perform  in 
the  great  World  War.  An  ignorance  which  was 
not  only  inexcusable  but  fatal  to  the  hopes,  aims, 
and  aspirations  of  the  Kaiser  and  his  horde  of 
infuriated  and  war-maddened  followers  who  knew 
nothing  but  what  had  been  told  them,  by  their 
superior  officers,  concerning  America,  which  was 
then  the  greatest  country  on  earth  and  the  one  to 
crush  Germany. 

Red  Cross  Sends  Food. 
In  the  issue  of  May  ist,  Red  Cross  Briefs,  the 
bulletin  of  the  Southern  Red  Cross  Division,  pub- 
lished three  times  a  month  at  Atlanta,  there  was  an 
item  with  regard  to  food  for  American  prisoners. 
"Prisoners  arriving  in  German  camps  should  find 
Red  Cross  emergency  food  parcels  awaiting  them, 
if  arrangements  are  carried  out.  The  Red  Cross 
has  secured  permission  to  store  emergency  supplies 
at  the  prison  camp  at  Tuchel,  West  Prussia.  Three 
hundred  and  sixty  ten-pound  parcels  have  been 
shipped  there  for  the  relief  of  American  prisoners 
newly  arrived  from  the  front.  Sergeant  Hally- 
burton  and  Corporal  Upton,  American  prisoners, 
have  been  delegated  custodians  of  the  emergency 
food  supplies  and  a  store  room  has  been  assigned 
to  them  in  which  to  keep  the  parcels  that  have  been 


40      LIFE  OF  SEARGFNT  EDGAR  M.   HALLYBURTON 

forwarded,  says  a  cable  from  the  Red  Cross  head- 
quarters at  Berne,  Switzerland." 

Dallin's  Statuette. 

The  soldier  whose  picture,  after  he  had  been 
captured  by  the  Germans  during  the  first  successful 
raid  on  the  American  lines,  served  as  the  guide  for 
Cyrus  E.  Dallin,  the  sculptor,  in  the  production  of 
his  statutte,  "'Captured  But  Not  Conquered,"  which 
was  used  to  help  the  third  Liberty  Loan  campaign, 
has  been  authoritatively  identified.  It  was  at  first 
thought  that  the  picture,  which  had  been  sent  out 
by  the  Huns  to  show  that  they  really  had  taken  a 
few  Americans,  was  that  of  Sergeant  Leith  of 
Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  and  was  so  announced  officially 
from  Washington.  Later,  however,  a  brother  of 
Leith  received  a  letter  from  him  saying  that  he  had 
not  been  made  captive.  Now  it  turns  out  the  man 
is  Sergeant  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton,  son  of  Mr. 
Geo.  B.  Hallyburton  and  Mrs.  Prudence  Hally- 
burton of  Stony  Point,  N.  C,  who  had  served 
nearly  ten  years  in  the  army. 

The  first  intimation  that  the  statuette  had  been 
modelled  from  Hallyburton's  picture  came  to  Mr. 
Dallin  in  a  letter  from  Charles  O.  Carrier,  in  which 
he  says :  "Having  seen  a  reproduction  of  your 
statuette  'Captured  But  Not  Conquered',  I  wish  to 
pay  you  a  compliment,  but  am  at  loss  for  words. 
With  the  original  of  the  photograph,  I  am  per- 
sonally acquainted,  and  you  have  not  only  repro- 


INTERESTING  MATTERS  4 1 

duced  the  features  and  expression,  but  his  actual 
character  is  embodied  in  the  same.  I  thought 
perhaps  you  would  be  pleased  to  learn  his  name 
which  is  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton,  son  of  Mrs. 
Prudence  Hallyburton  of  Stony  Point.  N.  C,  to 
whom  1  have  mailed  a  copy.'' 

This  letter  finally  reached  Air.  Dallin  at 
Springville,  Utah,  and  he  submitted  it  to  Mr.  John 
K.  Allen,  publicity  director  of  the  Liberty  Loans 
in  New  England. 

"Our  use  of  the  statuette",  said  Mr.  Allen,  in 
a  letter  to  the  sculptor,  "struck  a  high  note  in  pub- 
licity, and  those  which  were  sent  to  the  various 
cities  in  New  England  have  found  their  way  either 
into  the  public  libraries  or  art  museums,  and  the 
New  England  Libert}-  Loan  Committee  has  re- 
ceived appreciative  letters  acknowledging  their  re- 
ceipt." Mr.  Allen  also  informed  the  scculptor  that  he 
had  authorized  the  New  York  Liberty  Loan  Com- 
mittee to  make  use  of  the  statue  in  its  next  drive. 

On  June  26th,  Mr.  Allen  wrote  Mrs.  Hally- 
burton as  follows : 

"Cbas.  O.  Carrier  of  Irving,  111.,  has  written 
to  Mr.  Cyrus  E.  Dallin  stating  that  the  original  of 
his  statuette,  "Captured  But  Not  Conquered",  is 
your  son,  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton.  When  the  re- 
production of  the  picture,  originally  published  in 
the  German  illustrated  papers,  was  produced  in  the 
American  newspapers,  the  soldier  was  identified  as 


42      LII'E  OP  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

Sergeant  Leith  of  Schenectaday,  N.  Y.,  Later  we 
found  the  identification  was  inaccurate,  as  a  letter 
was  received  from  Sergeant  Leith  to  his  brother, 
stating  that  he  had  not  been  captured.  It  is  very 
desirable  that  we  establish  the  identity  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  statuette.  It  played  an  important  part 
in  the  Third  Liberty  Loan  Campaign  in  New 
England.  Will  you  have  the  kindness  to  write  me 
if  the  young  man  is  your  son,  and  I  will  be  happy 
if  you  can  send  a  photograph  of  him  which  I  can 
place  beside  the  statuette  which  is  now  on  my  desk. 
I  trust  that  I  am  not  asking  too  much  of  you,  and 
that  you  will  co-operate  with  us  in  this  important 
historical  incident." 

Mrs.  Hallyburton  replied  as  follows : 
"We  are  glad  to  answer  your  letter.  Sergeant 
Hallyburton  is  our  son,  and  was  captured  on 
November  3,  191 7,  in  the  first  fight  for  World 
Liberty.  We  would  be  glad  to  know  more  about 
the  statuette.  We  would  like  a  copy  of  it.  We  are 
glad  to  know  that  our  son  has  in  any  way  helped 
in  the  Liberty  Loan.  Please  give  us  the  details. 
We  are  sending,  as  you  requested,  his  photograph. 
It  is  the  only  kind  we  have,  and  it  has  been  taken 
sometime,  as  he  has  been  in  the  service  nine  years. 
He  is  now  28  years  old,  and  joined  the  army  at 
nineteen  and  one-half  years  old.  We  would  be 
glad  to  hear  from  you  again,  and  will  be  of  any 
service  we  can." 


INTERESflNG  MATTERS  43 

Sees  Statuette  Oe  Himself. 

Visitors  to  Governor  Cornwall's  office  noticed 
on  his  desk  a  three  foot  statuette  of  an  American 
soldier,  done  in  plaster  paris,  a  rather  striking 
figure.  It  shows  a  Sergeant  in  an  American  uni- 
form, with  right  hand  in  his  pocket,  his  left  hand 
clenched,  while  his  jaws  are  set,  and  a  bull-dog 
expression  on  his  face.  On  the  base  of  the  statuette 
are  the  words  "Captured  But  Not  Conquered/' 

The  governor  had  had  to  explain  to  in- 
numerable visitors  that  it  was  presented  to  him  b}r 
John  J.  Slipper,  who  purchased  it  in  Boston  during 
the  last  Liberty  Loan  Campaign ;  that  it  represented 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  whose  home  was  at  Stony 
Point,  N.  C,  and  wdio  belonged  to  the  regular  army 
in  the  first  division  to  go  abroad;  that  fate  decreed 
that  he  should  be  the  first  American  captured. 

On  Monday,  there  came  into  the  Governor's 
office.  Major  Coulter  and  Colonel  Ryder  of  the 
First  Division,  who  were  in  Charleston  with  the 
regular  troops  now  stationed  there.  Major  Coulter 
glanced  at  the  statuette,  and  said  to  the  Governor, 
"That  face  looks  familiar.  Who  is  that?"  The 
Governor  replied  that  it  was  the  first  American  that 
the  Germans  captured. 

"Why,  yes,  that  is  Sergeant  Hallyburton  of 
the  1 6th  Company.     He  is  right  here  in  towrn." 

The  governor  asked  that  he  be  brought  in, 


44      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTGN 

whereupon  Major  Coulter  took  up  the  telephone, 
communicated  with  headquarters,  and  made  ar- 
rangements for  Sergeant  Hallyburton  to  come  up 
to  the  governor's  office  at  ten  o'clock  Tuesday 
morning  to  meet  the  governor,  and  to  see  himself 
in  a  plaster  of  paris  statuette. 

Governor  Cornwell  had  been  asked  many  times 
whether  that  first  American  prisoner  came  out  of 
the  war,  and  was  never  able  to  answer  the  question 
until  that  Monday  afternoon  when  he  learned  from 
the  officers  referred  to  that  the  Germans  put  Hally- 
burton in  charge  of  the  American  prisoners  in  a 
large  camp  in  Germany.  There  were  a  number  of 
American  officers  among  the  prisoners,  but  Hally- 
burton had  absolute  command,  and  ruled  with  an 
iron  hand.  After  the  armistice,  he  was  in  com- 
mand of  a  large  hospital  at  Toul.  This  hero  who 
was  '"Captured  But  Not  Conquered"  had  been  walk- 
ing the  streets  of  Charleston  for  days. 

Reception  To  General  Wood. 

Following  his  return  from  Kanawha  City, 
where  at  9:30  o'clock  he  conferred  the  distinguished 
service  cross  upon  a  member  of  the  First  Division, 
General  Leonard  Wood  and  his  staff  were  tendered 
a  reception  in  Gov.  Cornwell's  office  at  which  many 
of  the  state  and  city  officials  and  other  prominent 
citizens  of  the  city  were  made  acquainted  with  them. 
With  the  general,   were  Col.   C.   B.   Baker,   Capt. 


INTERESTING  MATTERS  45 

J.  B.  Campbell,  the  general's  son,  and  his  aide, 
Lieutenant  Osborne  C.   Ward. 

James  W.  Weir,  Gov.  Cornwell's  secretary, 
made  an  effort  to  get  as  many  of  the  state  and  city 
officials  present  as  possible.  They  included  State 
Auditor,  John  S.  Dart,  Secretary  of  State,  Houston 
G.  Young,  State  Treasurer,  Wm.  S.  Johnson,  At- 
torney General,  E.  T.  England,  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  M.  P.  Shawkey,  Commissioner  of  Agri- 
culture, Jas.  H.  Stewart,  Judge  E.  F.  Morgan  of 
the  public  service  commission,  former  State  Sena- 
tor, W.  P.  Hawley,  Mayor  Grant  P.  Hall,  Walter 
E.  Clark,  proprietor  of  the  Charleston  Mail,  Jesse 
V.  Sullivan,  former  secretary  of  the  state  council 
of  defence,  J.  G.  Bradley,  Pres.  of  the  W.  Va.  Coal 
Association,  and  a  number  of  others. 

Decidedly  the  most  interesting  incident  of  the 
impromptu  reception  was  the  presentation  of 
Sergeant  Hallyburton,  of  the  16th  Infantry,  to 
Gen.  Wood. 

As  the  sergeant  entered  the  presence  of  Gen. 
Wood  and  his  staff  this  morning,  he  presented  a 
fine  picture  of  a  soldier.  Extending  his  hand  in 
greeting",  General  Wood  advanced  a  step  to  meet 
him,  and  Sergeant  Hallyburton,  bringing  his  heels 
smartly  together  in  soldierly  fashion  and  standing 
straight  as  an  arrow,  shook  hands  with  the 
general. 

Sergeant  Hallyburton  is  about  six  feet  tall,  is 


40      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

well  proportioned  physically,  without  an  ounce  of 
superfluous  flesh,  and  is  of  the  "lean"  type  of 
soldier  whose  countenance  shows  plainly  the  value 
of  his  experience  in  the  war. 

General  Wood  asked  the  sergeant  many 
questions,  and  Hallyburton  answered  modestly, 
giving"  a  very  brief  recital  of  his  life  as  a  captive  in 
a  German  prison  camp. 

"How  did  you  get  along  when  the  Bodies 
tried  to  get  information  out  of  you,"  asked  the 
general.     "Treated  pretty  badly?" 

"That  was  a  pretty  hard  matter,"  replied 
Hallyburton.  "They  used  us  pretty  badly  for  a 
while,  but  when  they  found  they  couldn't  break  our 
spirit,  they  let  up  a  little.  They  seemed  to  want 
information  about  aeroplanes  more  than  they  did 
about  America's  purpose  in  the  war.  They  did  ask 
me  whether  America  was  in  the  war  in  earnest,  and 
whether  many  troops  were  to  be  sent,  but  I  told 
them  I  had  not  been  in  the  States  for  sometime,  and 
really  had  no  information  on  that  point." 

"That  was  the  best  way  out  of  it,"  commented 
General  Wood. 

Hallyburton  explained  in  answer  to  the 
questions  of  the  general  how  he,  with  ten  other 
soldiers,  happened  to  be  captured,  and  in  reply  to 
another  query,  said  his  imprisonment  lasted  from 
November  191 7  to  December  19 18. 


MR.  AXD  MRS.   GEORGE  B.    HALLYBURTOX. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BACK  HOME. 

SERGEANT  Hallyburton  lost  no  time  after  his 
release  as  a  prisoner  of  war  behind  the  German 
lines  before  setting  sail  for  America.  He  land- 
ed at  Camp  Mills,  Long  Island,  and  soon  secured 
a  sixty-day  furlough,  and  left  on  the  first  train  for 
"home  sweet  home"  to  see  his  parents,  relatives,  and 
friends.  On  his  arrival  at  home,  he  found  a  letter 
from  Adjunct-General  Harris  notifying  him  that  he 
had  been  awarded  the  Distinguished  Service  Medal 
of  which  a  detailed  account  is  given  elsewhere. 
This  medal  was  sent  to  Camp  Dix  to  be  presented 
to  Sergeant  Hallyburton  a  few  weeks  later. 

When  the  great  crowd  had  assembled  on  the 
athletic  field  of  the  south  parade  grounds,  Major- 
General  Charles  P.  Summerall,  after  reading  the 
letter  from  Adjunct-General  Harris,  said : 

''This  Distinguished  Service  Medal  has  never 
been  more  worthily  bestowed  than  upon  Sergeant 
Edgar  M.  Hallyburton.  The  records  show  that  he 
is  the  only  enlisted  man  to  receive  such  a  decoration 
in  the  World  Far,  and  the  First  Division  is  proud 

i7 


48      LIEE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

of  him  as  a  comrade.  His  services,  for  which  the 
grateful  President  of  a  grateful  nation  awarded  this 
coveted  decoration,  showed  that  however  restricted, 
whatever  the  limit  of  movement,  a  soldier  and  man 
may  yet  contribute  to  the  glory  of  his  country  and 
to  the  honor  of  his  army.  He  was  taken  a  prisoner 
by  the  enemy  in  an  honorable  manner  in  a  time  of 
terrific  danger  known  only  to  those  who  have  ex- 
perienced the  test,  and  only  by  the  narrowest  mar- 
gin escaped  with  his  life.  By  his  dominant  per- 
sonality, he  compelled  the  enemy  to  treat  humanly 
our  American  prisoners.  By  thus  remaining  faith- 
ful to  his  nation,  even  though  in  captivity,  Sergeant 
Hallyburton  strengthened  the  resolution  of  his 
comrades,  and  increased  their  buoyancy  and 
fortitude." 

The  Division  Commander  thereupon  pinned 
the  decoration  upon  him,  and  congratulated  him 
upon  his  good  fortune.  The  16th  Infantry  Band 
furnished  the  march,  and  played  exceptionally  well. 

Not  only  before,  but  more  especially  after,  his 
return  to  American  soil,  Sergeant  Hallyburton  was 
the  happy  recipient  of  all  the  praise  and  honor  it 
was  possible  for  a  patriotic  and  patriot-admiring 
people  to  lavish  upon  him.  This  praise  was  spon- 
taneous, out-spoken,  unselfish,  and  unstinted.  He 
had  won  it  worthily. 

It  will  not  be  out  of  place  just  here  to  give  a 
few  extracts  from  the  news-papers  to  show  how 


■  BACK   HOME  49 

this  praise  was  bestowed  upon  him  while  he  was 
yet  a  prisoner  of  war  within  the  German  lines. 

The  Charlotte  (N.  C.)  Observer  mentions  the 
following- :  "The  war  picture  which  is  going  the 
rounds  of  the  papers  as  the  'first  photograph  to 
reach  this  country  of  Pershing's  men  in  the  hands 
of  the  Germans'  was  received  with  peculiar  interest 
in  the  home  of  Mr.  Geo.  B.  Hailyburton  of  Stony 
Point,  Alexander  Count)-,  for  in  the  central  figure 
in  the  picture, — that  of  the  bare-headed  soldier 
being  questioned  by  German  officers, — Mr.  Haily- 
burton recognized  his  son,  Sergeant  Edgar  Haily- 
burton. The  protograph  gave  his  parents  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  is  alive  and  not 
wounded,  and  they  properly  want  their  happiness 
given  reflection  through  The  Observer.'" 

A  Father's  Tribute. 
Mr.  George  B.  Hailyburton,  when  he  heard  of 
his  son's  capture,  in  the  simple,  truthful  language 
of  his  people,  only  said,  "The  German's  didn't  get 
Edgar  without  a  fight,  I'm  sure;  Ed  is  the  fighting 
kind." 

From  His  Teacher. 
"It  can  already  be  said  of  our  boys,  'He  hath 
done  what  he  could',  for  after  a  heroic  stand  and 
desperate  fight,  Sergeant  Hailyburton  was  captured 
by  the  Germans  last  fall.  This  band  of  boys,  the 
first  American  prisoners  taken  during  the  war,  is 


50      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

now  in  Darmstadt,  Germany.  Young  Hallyburton's 
fine  military  record  has  won  for  him  lasting  honor, 
and  given  great  impetus  to  the  cause  for  which  he 
was  fighting,  all  over  the  country.  We  are  justly 
proud  of  these  boys,  and  feel  sure  our  side  must 
win  when  supported  by  such  manly  fellows  as 
these." 

"Armistice  Day,  or  North  Carolina  in  the 
World  War",  which  is  a  book  published  by  the 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  in 
mentioning  Sergeant  Hallyburton  says: 

"It  is  a  soldier's  duty  not  only  to  fight  in 
battle,  but  also  to  serve  his  country  wherever  he 
may  be.  This  is  what  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton  did. 
Edgar  M.  Hallyburton  was  born  near  Stony  Point, 
Iredell  County,  North  Carolina.  He  volunteered 
in  the  regular  army  and  became  a  sergeant  in  the 
1 6th  Infantry.  This  regiment  was  a  part  of  the 
First  Division,  and  was  one  of  the  first  regiments 
to  go  to  France. 

"In  November,  19 17,  the  Germans  raided  the 
American  trenches  and  took  Sergeant  Hallyburton 
prisoner.  Sergeant  Hallyburton  was  carried  into 
Germany  and  kept  as  a  prisoner  of  war  from 
November  191 7  till  November  19 18.  He  was  in 
many  German  prison  camps  and  in  none  of  them 
was  he  well  treated.  As  the  war  went  on,  other 
American  prisoners  of  war  came  to  these  camps. 
The  Germans  tried  to  break  their  spirits,  and  make 


.  back  home;  5 1 

them  give  valuable  information  about  the  American 
armies.  They  kept  the  American  prisoners  in  dirty 
houses,  and  did  not  give  them  enough  to  eat. 

"Many  a  soldier's  spirit  would  have  broken 
down  had  it  not  been  for  Sergeant  Hallyburton. 
He  organized  the  prisoners  and  found  comfortable 
places  for  them  to  stay  in.  He  saw  that  all  food 
and  clothing  due  them  was  fairly  divided  among 
all  prisoners.  He  organized  officers  and  made 
rules  to  prevent  Americans  from  getting  dis- 
couraged and  giving  Germans  information  about 
our  armies. 

"Finally,  in  November  19 18,  the  Armistice 
was  signed,  and  Sergeant  Hallyburton  and  other 
prisoners  of  war  were  sent  back  to  the  American 
army.  Here  it  was  learned  how  he  had  served  his 
country  even  while  in  prison.  The  government 
thanked  him  publicly  for  these  fine  services  by  giv- 
ing him  a  medal  called  the  Distinguished  Service 
Medal.  Many  generals,  colonels,  and  other  men  of 
high  rank  received  this  medal  for  fine  work  they 
did  in  training  and  leading  soldiers.  But  none  of 
them  deserve  more  credit  than  Sergeant  Hally- 
burton. He  was  not  trying  to  win  a  name  for 
himself.  He  was  only  doing  his  duty  where  he  was. 
His  was  the  spirit  of  service." 

The  following  verses  were  used  in  the  Fourth 
Liberty  Loan  campaign  of  New  England : 


52      LIEE  OE  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

TO  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 
A  prisoner  of  war  in  Germany. 
By  his  Aunt,  Mrs.  Ella  Lackey,  Hamlet,  N.  C. 

O,  little  boy,  that  used  to  roam 
Among  the  peaceful  hills  of  home, 
With  none  of  fear,  so  wild  and  free, 
In  dreams  you  often  come  to  me. 

These  dimpled  hands  were  my  delight, 
These  fearless  eyes  were  closed  each  night 
In  gentle  slumbers;  on  my  breast 
This  baby  form  was  lulled  to  rest. 

O,  little  boy  that  used  to  be; 

O,  captive  son  beyond  the  sea; 

Who  smoothes  for  you  your  prison  bed? 

Who  pillows  now  your  weary  head  ? 

Your  soul  is  free!    No  prison  bars 
The  spirit  of  the  stripes  and  stars, 
And  those  who  stand  for  liberty 
Will  bring  my  soldier  back  to  be. 

By  H.  E.  C.  Bryant. 

Washington,  November  9. — The  War  Depart- 
ment issued  this  statement  today: 

"By  direction  of  the  President,  under  the  pro- 
visions of  the  act  of  Congress,  approved,  July  9, 


BACK    HOME  53 

1918,  (Bulletin  No.  43,  War  Department,  1918) 
a  Distinguished  Service  Medal  is  awarded  the  fol- 
lowing man :  Sergeant  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton, 
(42848)  Company  F,  16th  Infantry.  For  ex- 
ceptionally meritorious  and  conspicious  services." 
"Sergeant  Hallyburton,  while  a  prisoner  in  the 
hands  of  the  German  government  from  November, 
191 7  to  November.  191 8,  voluntarily  took  command 
of  the  different  camps  in  which  he  was  located,  and 
under  difficult  conditions,  established  administrative 
and  personal  quarters,  organized  the  men  into  units, 
billited  them  systematically,  established  sanitary 
regulations,  and  made  equitable  distribution 
of  supplies:  he  established  an  intelligence  service 
to  prevent  our  men  giving  information  to  the 
enemy,  and  prevented  the  enemy  introducing  propa- 
ganda. His  patriotism  and  leadership  under  trying 
conditions  were  an  inspiration  to  his  fellow  pris- 
oners, and  contributed  greatly  to  the  amelioration 
of  their  hardships.'' 

From  A  Soldier's  Relative. 

A  few  days  ago,  a  soldier's  relative  contributed 
to  The  New  York  Times  a  short  letter  of  appreci- 
ation behind  which  there  is  a  story  of  interest  to 
the  people  of  North  Carolina.  The  Times'  contri- 
buter  wrote  to  this  effect : 

"Relatives  of  American  soldiers  detained  in 
prison  camps  in  Germany  owe  grateful  thanks  to 


54     life  of  sergeant  edgar  m.  hallyburton 

Sergeant  Hallyburton,  president  of  the  camp  at 
Rastadt,  Duchy  of  Baden,  for  his  kind  offices  in 
endeavouring  to  acquaint  anxious  mothers,  wives, 
and  sweethearts  of  the  whereabouts  of  their  cap- 
tured loved  ones."  It  is  then  briefly  related  that 
in  many  cases  no  official  record  whatsoever  gave  the 
fate  of  the  lads  who  had  ceased  writing,  but  by 
some  method  of  his  own,  Sergeant  Hallyburton 
managed  to  convey  at  least  the  information  that 
they  were  alive  in  some  place  in  Germany,  which 
was  relief  of  a  sort.  "As  we  cannot  reach  this 
excellent  man  and  friend,"  the  writer  continues, 
"we  relatives  take  this  method  of  placing  on  record 
our  gratitude  to  him  and  his  efficient  secretary, 
Corporal  Geoghegan,  who,  in  the  midst  of  their 
own  misery,  could  take  thought  of  ours  and  attempt 
to  mitigate  it  by  at  least  a  ray  of  hope.  God  bless 
them  both,  is  our  earnest  wish." 
His  Picture. 
The  Associated  Press  dispatches  carried  the 
following  article."  "In  the  picture  section  of  The 
New  York  Times  of  Sunday  was  a  splendid  picture 
of  three  American  soldiers,  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Germans,  being  questioned  by  German  officers.  In 
addition  to  the  group  picture,  the  photograph  of 
the  three  Americans  was  given  separately.  The 
photographs  were  obtained  from  German  papers, 
passed  by  the  British  censor.  The  names  of  the 
prisoners    did    not   appear,    but    acquaintances    of 


BACK    HOME  55 

Sergeant  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton  of  Iredell  County, 
North  Carolina,  readily  recognized  his  photograph, 
— the  soldier  with  his  hair  brushed  up  in  front. 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  was  captured  when  the 
Germans  raided  the  American  trenches,  November 
3.  These  were  the  first  Americans  captured,  and 
the  Germans  have  made  much  of  the  event,  ap- 
parently putting  the  captives  on  exhibition." 
From  Editor  Wade  Harris. 
'"The  Observer's  idea  of  an  intertaining  story 
is  that  which  tells  how  Sergeant  Hallyburton,  the 
Alexander  County  boy  (this  should  have  been 
Iredell  County  boy — the  Author)  who  was  the  first 
German  captive,  figured  in  the  campaign  of  the 
Liberty  Loan  Committee  of  New  England,  which 
is  presented  elsewhere.  The  idea  of  the  Committee 
itself  should  come  in  for  first  endorsement.  It  dis- 
tinguished the  North  Carolina  Sergeant  by  com- 
memorating him  in  statuette.  This  art  work  was 
given  display  in  the  leading  cities  of  New  England 
with  a  placard  reading:  'The  first  American  soldier 
captured  by  the  Germans.  How  long  shall  we 
allow  him  to  remain  a  prisoner?  Buy  Liberty 
Bonds  and  set  him  free!'  The  statuettes  and  the 
appeal  worked  wonders  in  the  success  of  the  cam- 
paign, in  New  England,  and  for  one,  The  Observer 
is  proud  of  the  distinctive  part  the  Stony  Point  boy 
played  in  it.  Incidentally,  the  story  of  the  mistake 
in   identity  first  committed  by   the  New   England 


56      LlEE  OP  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.   HALLYBURTON 

committee,  and  how  it  was  adjusted,  adds  to  the 
human  interest  of  the  story.  The  Observer  feels 
inclined  to  thank  this  Boston  organization  in  behalf 
of  the  state  for  its  signal  contribution  to  the  fame 
of  Sergeant  Hallyburton.  It  will  be  recalled  that 
a  few  weeks  ago  a  young  man  with  a  squint  in  his 
eye,  and  who  had  been  rejected  by  the  army  for 
that  reason,  appeared  in  Charlotte  and  underwent 
an  operation  for  the  taking  out  of  the  squint.  This 
young  fellow  was  a  brother  of  Sergeant  Hally- 
burton, and  he  was  determined  to  get  to  Franco 
'to  take  Bud  away  from  the  Germans.'  Possibly 
it  may  come  to  pass  that  the  happy  mother  in  the 
mountain  home  back  in  Stony  Point  may  have  a 
second  statuette  to  adorn  her  mantlepiece,  for  the 
younger  brother  is  quite  sure  to  have  a  hand  in  the 
rescue  of  Sergeant  Hallyburton,  in  case  the  rescue 
is  accomplished." 

Prayer  For  Sergeant  Hallyburton. 

The  Charlotte  (N.  C.)  News  carried  the  fol- 
lowing item  just  after  the  capture  of  Sergeant 
Hallyburton  was  made  public: 

"The  General  Synod  of  the  Associate  Reform- 
ed Presbyterian  Church  of  the  South,  in  late  session 
at  Fayetteville,  Tenn.,  engaged  in  special  prayer 
for  Sergeant  Hallyburton  of  Stony  Point,  this 
state,  reported  as  being  captured  by  the  Germans 
in  the  first  clash  between  the  two  lines.  Sergeant 
Hallyburton  is  a  "Seceder",  a  member  of  the  Amity 


BACK    HOME  5/ 

Church  in  Iredell  County,  and,  therefore,  a  Psalm- 
singer." 

Commenting  on  the  above  Associated  Press 
dispatch,  one  of  his  home  papers  has  this  to  say : 
"There  is  no  way  to  tell,  perhaps,  nor  will  be,  that 
the  prayer  of  this  body  of  consecrated  ministers  of 
the  Gospel  is  ever  answered  for  Sergeant  Hally- 
burton.  It  is  not  allowed  us  to  know  whether  or 
nut  a  safe  deliverance  will  come  to  him  because  of 
the  supplications  which  have  been  sent  up,  but  we 
June  no  doubt  that  if  he  could  be  made  aware  of  the 
fact  that  back  here  in  his  home  country  he  has  been 
made  a  client  of  these  pious  ministers  before  the 
Courts  of  God,  encouragement  would  come  to  his 
soul.  Faced  with  the  red  waves  of  war's  destruc- 
tion, he  is  a  fool  who  will  not  seek  the  side  of 
heaven." 

The  Red  Cross. 

The  American  Red  Cross  today,  February  8, 
paid  Sergeant  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton,  whose  home 
is  at  Stony  Point,  Alexander  County,  North  Caro- 
lina, a  handsome  compliment  by  sending  broadcast 
the  story  of  his  splended  work  as  American  prisoner 
of  war  in  Germany.  "Elected  by  the  vote  of  his 
2,400  fellow  Americans,  who  were  prisoners  at  the 
German  prison  camp  at  Rastadt,  as  Commandant", 
the  Red  Cross  says,  "Sergeant  Hallyburton,  who 
for  months  fought  to  secure  decent  treatment  for 
the  American  captives,  is  recognized  as  an  authority 


58      LIFE  01?  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

on  their  treatment."  Although  certain  rights  were 
finally  wrung  from  the  German  military  jailors, 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  says  the  Germans  were  guilty 
of  many  offences  against  the  prisoners,  in  particular 
the  regular  stealing  of  American  Red  Cross  food 
and  clothing  boxes  sent  to  the  Americans. 

"The  American  Red  Cross  is  wonderful,"  ex- 
claimed Sergeant  Hallyburton,  suddenly.  "It  sup- 
plied us  so  well  that  a  prisoner  received  his  regular 
weekly  box  never  had  to  touch  German  stuff." 
This  bulletin  of  the  Red  Cross  carried  a  picture  of 
Sergeant  Hallyburton.  This  North  Carolina  boy 
is  coming  out  o£  the  war  with  much  honor. 

Mr.    Fred   A.    Olds,    the   versatile   writer   and 
amiable    curator    of    the    North    Carolina    Hall    of 
History,  writing  in  The  Orphans  Friend,  under  date 
of  Friday,  September  9,  1921  says: 
A  Real  Hero. 

"Sergeant  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton  stood  the 
acid  test  and  assayed  pure  gold. 

"Taylorsville,  the  county  seat  of  Alexander, 
is  not  a  big  place,  but  it  is  the  home  of  a  full  size 
Hero  of  the  World  War,  and  the  writer  got  a 
great  deal  of  pleasure  from  a  visit  to  this  100  per 
cent.  American,  who  is  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton,  late 
sergeant  in  Co.  F,  16th  Regiment,  U.  S.  Infantry. 
He  is  the  worthy  wearer  of  one  of  the  most  coveted 
distinctions  in  the  army,  the  Distinguished  Service 
Medal,  and  his  letter  from  General  John  J.  Per- 


BACK    HOME  59 

shing,  he  considers  as  great  a  distinction  as  the 
medal. 

"One  sees  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross 
quite  often,  but  not  one  man  in  a  thousand  has  ever 
seen  a  Distinguished  Service  Medal.  In  fact. 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  was  the  first  enlisted  man  to 
receive  it.  He  was  also  the  first  American  soldier 
captured  by  the  Germans.  It  was  not  alone  his 
bravery  in  action  which  won  him  the  medal,  but  his 
wonderful  head-work,  inspirational  always,  and  his 
American  manhood  while  a  prisoner  in  German 
camps,  which  kept  his  fellow  prisoners  together, 
secured  for  them  respect  and  standing.  In  other 
words,  this  enlisted  soldier,  by  sheer  force  of  his 
personality,  was  the  chosen  head  of  all  the  Ameri- 
can prisoners  in  Germany;  chosen  by  them,  and 
not  by  the  Germans. 

"He  is  a  quiet  man,  this  Sergeant  Hallyburton, 
but  determination  and  utter  fearlessness  are  written 
large  upon  his  face.  His  home  village  was  Stony 
Point,  and  from  it  he  joined  the  regular  army  in 
1907.  He  was  in  several  branches  of  the  service, 
went  into  Mexico  with  General  Pershing  in  the 
persuit  of  Villa  the  bandit  in  1916,  and  in  June, 
19 1 7,  went  to  France  with  the  first  American  con- 
tingent, the  First  Division,  all  regular  troops.  The 
special  training  for  the  World  War  began  at  once. 

"November  3,  191 7,  his  regiment  was  at  the 
front,  in  the  Luneville  sector,  in  France,  and  had 


6o      LIFE  OE  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLIBURTON 

just  marched  in.  He  and  about  twenty  of  his 
Company  were  in  a  dug-out  25  feet  under  ground, 
that  first  night  at  the  front.  A  little  before  day- 
light, the  Germans  laid  down  a  heavy  barrage,  and 
rushed  this  advanced  post,  and  entered  the  dug-out. 
They  were  met  by  rifle-fire  and  several  were  killed 
and  one  captured,  but  they  used  grenades,  killing 
three  Americans;  Merle  D.  Hay,  of  Des  Moines, 
Iowa ;  Thomas  F.  Enright,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa. ;  and 
James  B.  Gresham,  of  Evansville,  Ind.,  these  being 
the  first  United  States  soldiers  killed.  Five  others 
were  wounded,  and  twelve  taken  prisoner  by  the 
overwhelming  force  of  Germans.  The  latter  were 
anxious  to  capture  some  Americans,  .hoping  to  get 
from  them  some  first-hand  information  as  to  the 
strength  of  the  United  States  force.  The  Germans 
questioned  the  captured  men  after  the)-  had  taken 
them  into  their  own  lines,  across  'No  Man's  Land', 
and  made  a  photograph  of  this  scene  of  questioning. 
These  photographs  they  used  as  propaganda,  and 
sent  them  through  Switzerland,  so  newspapers 
could  get  them.  The  three  Americans  killed  were 
buried  with  most  imposing  ceremonies  by  the 
French  army.  The  captured  men,  including  Hally- 
burton,  were  set  down  as  missing.  When  the 
German  photograph  of  the  questioning  reached  the 
United  States  there  was  quite  a  sensation.  No 
names  were  given,  but  the  faces  were  clear. 
Mr.  Geo.  B.  Hallyburton  saw  the  picture,  and  his 


BACK   HOME  6l 

wife  and  he  at  once  gave  notice  to  the  War  Depart- 
ment that  it  was  their  son  who  was  the  central 
figure  in  the  picture.  Bare  headed,  with  one  hand 
in  a  pocket,  he  looked  fearlessly  at  the  Boches,  one 
of  whom  is  laughing  in  a  sneering  way.  One  may 
be  sure  that  the  questioners,  for  all  their  arrogance, 
got  nothing  from  Hallyburton,  who  is  as  firm  as 
flint.  The  German  intelligence  officer  bombarded 
him  with  questions,  but  the  up-standing  American 
neither  cringed  nor  told  any  secrets.  The  picture 
was  put  to  a  use  of  which  the  Germans  never  ever 
dreamed.  As  soon  as  Cyrus  Dallin,  a  Massachusetts 
sculptor,  saw  it,  he  made  a  plaster  statuette  of 
Hallyburton,  not  then  even  knowing  who  he  was. 
Then  smaller  statuettes  were  made,  and  those  were 
used  in  the  great  Liberty  Loan  drives.  The  large 
statuette  was  later  sent  to  the  parents  of  Hally- 
burton. He  showed  to  his  captors  the  true  spirit 
of  Americanism  and  it  astonished  and  puzzled  them. 
He  hated  them  with  such  a  deep  and  abiding 
hatred  that  he  would  never  try  to  learn  or  use  their 
language.  The  next  move  by  the  Germans  was  to 
put  their  captives  in  a  sort  of  cage  on  a  truck,  and 
send  them  to  Germany  and  hand  them  from  town 
to  town,  telling  the  people  these  appeared  to  be  all 
the  Americans  who  had  arrived  in  Europe.  The 
German  populace  looked  at  them  and  treated  them 
as  if  they  were  wild  beasts  on  show.  Next,  the 
Americans  were  sent  to  a  prison  camp  in  Tuchel, 


62      LIFE  OE  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

West  Prussia.  Six  more  Americans  arrived  there 
a  little  later,  bringing  the  number  up  to  18.  The 
Germans  hitched  them  to  wagons  and  forced  them 
to  haul  firewood  7  miles.  Their  good  clothing  had 
been  taken  by  their  cruel  captors,  and  they  were 
given  wooden  shoes,  paper  fabric  socks,  and 
wretched  clothes.  The  snow  was  above  their  knees, 
they  were  half-starved,  but  their  spirits  were  never 
broken.  From  town  to  town  where  they  had  been 
hauled  in  their  cage  and  exhibited,  Hallyburton, 
chosen  as  their  leader,  had  written  post  cards  to  the 
American  Red  Cross,  but  these  cards  the  Germans 
withheld,  so  that  it  was  not  until  January  12,  1918 
that  upon  demand  of  the  Red  Cross  in  Switzerland 
their  names  were  given,  and  the  first  packages  ar- 
rived. These  supplies  saved  their  lives.  Hally- 
burton says  otherwise  they  could  not  have  endured 
over  two  months  longer.  The  Germans  made  a 
regular  practice  to  steal  from  the  Red  Cross  boxes 
and  to  appropriate  the  articles.  Once,  when  100 
pairs  of  shoes  arrived,  they  stole  96.  The  American 
prisoners  at  Tuchel  camp  were  well  organized  by 
Hallyburton,  and  they  stood  up  for  their  rights. 
They  were,  August  4,  1918,  sent  to  a  miserable 
camp  at  Rastadt.  It  was  known  as  a  "propaganda" 
camp,  as  the  Germans  tried  in  every  way  to  under- 
mine the  morale  of  the  Americans.  There  were 
550  Americans  in  this  camp  when  Hallyburton  ar- 
rived.    Pro-German  traitors,  who  had  enlisted  in 


BACK   HOME  63 

the  army  with  this  purpose  in  view,  were  the 
spreaders  of  the  vile  propaganda,  working  hand- 
in-hand  with  the  Germans.  Of  the  Germans,  the 
chief  was  Capt.  von  Tauscher,  who  tried  to  dyna- 
mite a  bridge  at  Detroit,  was  caught  with  the  dyna- 
mite in  his  suit  case  and  was  driven  out  of  America, 
instead  of  being  properly  hanged.  He  was  trying 
to  introduce  the  two  propaganda  newspapers  the 
Germans  published,  "The  American  In  Europe"  and 
the  "Continental  Times,"  but  he  was  told  point- 
blank  that  the  Americans  would  not  stand  for  it. 
The  Americans  again  chose  Hallyburton  as  their 
leader,  and  demanded  this  and  the  German  general 
consented.  At  once  the  pro-German  traitors  were 
ousted.  Hallyburton  had  a  hand-picked  intelligence 
staff  of  150  men  when  the  armistice  began,  and  the 
Americans,  completely  turning  the  tables  on  the 
Germans,  did  the  propaganda  work  themselves 
among  the  younger  Boche  soldiers,  to  good  purpose, 
for  something  happened.  The  German  '"revolution" 
broke  out,  and  it  struck  Rastadt  November  3. 
The  revolutionists  opened  the  prison  camp  gates 
and  asked  the  Americans,  by  that  time  2,500  :n 
number,  to  step  out  as  free  men  and  go  into  the 
town.  A  lot  of  them  did  so,  but  the  influenza  was 
raging  in  town  and  83  cases  developed  among  the 
Americans,  three  dying  of  it.  At  once  Hallyburton 
put  on  iron-clad  discipline,  closed  the  prison  camp 
gates,  put  on  an     American  provost  guard  to  take 


64      LIEE  OE  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

the  place  of  the  German  mutineers,  and  so  kept 
perfect  order  until  the  day  in  December  when  the 
Americans  left  for  home  by  way  of  Switzerland. 
Then  he  went  to  Camp  Zachary  Taylor,  Kentucky, 
and  there  rejoined  his  regiment.  His  outfit  at 
Rastadt  actually  had  cleaner  quarters  than  the 
German  guards,  the  American  barracks  being  clean- 
ed, or  ''policed",  twice  a  day.  He  had  a  short  stay 
in  a  horrible  German  prison  at  Heuberg,  in  the 
Grand  Duchey  of  Baden,  this  being  known  as  a 
"Strafe"  camp.  There  he  and  an  "adjunct",  a 
soldier  named  Geebegan,  were  closely  confined, 
worked   hard,  and  half-starved. 

"Sergeant  Hallyburton  has  placed  in  the  State 
Hall  of  History  two  albums  with  photographs  of 
his  eventful  prison  life,  and  a  great  many  news- 
paper articles  and  illustrations  covering  all  sorts  of 
phases  of  it.  He  also  deposits  there  his  Distin- 
guished Service  Medal  and  two  letters  of  intense 
human  interest  which  he  prizes  most  highly.  They 
are  letters  any  American  might  well  be  proud  to 
read  and  more  than  proud  to  have  received.  One 
is  from  Col.  W.  L.  H.  Godson,  U.  S.  Military 
Attache  at  Berne,  Switzerland,  and  the  other  from 
General  Pershing." 

True  Bravery. 
Hon.  F.  M.  Pinnix,  Editor  of  The  Orphan's 
Friend   and  Masonic  Journal,   commenting  on  the 


BACK   HOME  65 

sketch  by  Mr.  Fred  A.  Olds,  pays  Sergeant  Hally- 
burton  the  following  tribute : 

"Cononel  Olds'  story  of  Sergeant  Hallyburton 
in  this  weeks  issue  is  an  inspiring  one.  North  Caro- 
lina has  the  distinction  of  producing  one  of  the 
really  heroic  and  useful  figures  of  the  war  in  this 
fine  soldier  who  not  only  did  his  full  duty,  but  did 
it  in  a  manner  and  at  a  time  when  it  counted  heavily. 
Like  all  really  brave  men,  Sergeant  Hallyburton  is 
modest  and  reserved.  Colonel  Olds,  who  knows  a 
man  when  he  sees  one,  says,  "He  is  a  quiet  man, 
this  Sergeant  Hallyburton,  but  determination  and 
utter  fearlessness  are  written  large  on  his  face." 
There  are  various  types  of  bravery;  all  good,  of 
course,  but  this  tjpe  of  Sergeant  Hallyburton, 
instantly  recognized  by  his  superior  officers,  is  of 
first  rank.  Under  strain  of  excitement,  of  exalta- 
tion, of  anger,  of  love,  men  do  prodigies  of  valor 
without  counting  the  cost,  which  means  that  they 
do  not  fully  realize  the  hazards.  Weaklings  have, 
for  the  moment,  played  the  part  of  heroes.  "Men, 
under  sudden  strong  impulses,  exhibit  stout  qualities 
of  heart  they  cannot  summon  under  normal  con- 
ditions, and  just  here  is  where  the  real  hero  is 
different  from  the  man  whose  heroism  is  not  stable. 

"Halliburton's  is  the  kind  that  does  not  flinch. 
It  is  the  kind  that  remained  at  concert  pitch  during 
his  full  period  of  service,  including  all  his  months 
as  a  prisoner  of  war.    It  stood  the  test. 


66      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYBURTON 

"But  bravery  does  not  seem  to  be  the  only 
stock  in  trade  of  this  soldier.  After  capture,  many 
soldiers  are  prone  to  conclude  they  have  done  their 
full  duty  and  that  nothing  further  need  be  expected 
of  them.  That  is  not  the  Hallyburton  system  of 
reasoning.  A  prisoner,  and  menaced  by  new 
hazards,  cut  off  from  communication  with  the 
world,  and  fed  on  lies  and  propaganda,  it  does  seem 
as  if  a  soldier,  in  such  situation,  could  do  little  for 
his  country,  yet  a  high  type  of  intelligence,  plus 
sterling  character,  can  always  find  something  useful 
to  do,  and  in  his  characteristic  way,  Hallyburton 
found  it.  By  the  discipline  and  high  morale  he 
maintained  among  American  prisoners  of  war,  he 
not  only  helped  to  keep  them  superior  to  intimida- 
tion, and  proof  against  the  pitiless  questioning  they 
had  to  undergo;  he  not  only  kept  his  comrades  un- 
affected by  enemy  propaganda;  but  he  turned  the 
tables  on  the  enemy  and  got  a  little  bit  of  truth  as 
to  the  war  going  in  Germany.  This  was  a  dan- 
gerous and  difficult  business,  but  with  the  assistance 
of  his  comrades,  the  Sergeant  put  it  across  and  won 
the  recognition  and  respect  of  a  soldier  no  less  than 
the  Commander-in-Chief  himself.  Hallyburton, 
captured,  in  an  enemy  camp,  was  worth  more  to  his 
country  than  many  good  men  armed  from  head  to 
foot,  unwounded,  and  in  action  on  the  battle  front. 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  is  a  fine  type  of  soldier,  if 
anybody  should  happen  to  ask  you." 


back  home  67 

From  Colonel  \V.  L.  H.  Godson. 

Sergeant  Hallyburton,  when  in  Berne,  Switzer- 
land, received  the  following  commendatory  letter 
from  Colonel  W.  L.  H.  Godson,  cavalry,  the  military 
attache  at  the  United  States  legation : 

"Before  you  leave  Berne  with  the  repatriated 
American  prisoners,  I  desire  to  furnish  you  with 
this  statement  to  make  record  of  your  services  while 
a  prisoner  of  war  in  Germany.  Captured  on 
November  3,  1917,  under  circumstances  which  were 
absolutely  beyond  3'our  control,  your  whole  conduct 
from  that  time  until  your  release  in  December,  19 18, 
reflects  credit  upon  yourself  and  the  regular  army 
to  which  you  belong.  In  Tuchel,  your  conduct  saved 
your  comrades  from  the  worst  that  filthy  hole  in- 
flicted. You  organized  and  controlled  them  under 
great  difficulties,  and  even  succeeded  in  forcing  rec- 
ognition from  the  German  authorities.  I  shall  report 
all  I  have  learned  in  this  case  to  the  Commander-in- 
Chief,  and  shall  recommend  you  for  a  commission 
in  the  United  States  army.  I  should  be  glad  to 
have  you  as  an  officer  in  any  organization  I  might 
command." 

General  Pershing. 

Shortly     after     the     armistice     was     signed, 
Sergeant  Hallyburton  received  the  following  letter 
from  General  John  J.  Pershing: 
"Sergeant  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton, 
My  Dear  Sergeant :— 


68      LlEE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.  HALLYEURTON 

I  have  just  learned,  with  great  pleasure, 
of  your  magnificent  and  noble  conduct  while 
you  were  a  prisoner  of  war  in  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  Your  loyalty  and  self-sacrificing 
spirit  of  devotion  to  the  interest  of  the  American 
soldiers  who  were  prisoners  in  Germany  during  the 
hostilities  is  worthy  of  the  highest  traditions  of 
American  manhood  and  patriotism.  Confronted 
with  the  difficult  and  serious  problem  of  discovering 
and  exterminating  the  enemy  propaganda,  made  in 
their  efforts  to  stifle  the  morale  of  the  Americans, 
you  did  not  waver  for  an  instant  but  remained  stead- 
fast to  your  purpose  and  accomplished  a  most  com- 
mendable service  to  your  nation.  I  am  proud  to 
have  you  under  my  command.  Believe  me, 
Sergeant,  very  sincerely  yours, 

JOHN  J.  PERSHING." 
The  Adjunct  General. 
"Mr.  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton, 
Stony  Point,  N.  C., 
Dear  Sir: 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  act  of  Congress  ap- 
proved July  9,  1918,  (Bulletin  No.  43,  W.  D.  1918) 
a  Distinguished  Service  Medal  was  awarded 
to  you  by  the  War  Department,  for  exceptionally 
meritorious  and  conspicious  services,  while  a 
prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  German  govern- 
ment from  November  191 7  to  November  19 18. 

"It   is   requested   that   you  use   the   enclosed 


BACK    HOME  69 

penalty  envelope,  which  requires  no  postage,  and 
inform  this  office  to  what  address  you  wish  this 
medal  sent,  in  order  that  presentation  of  same  may 
be  made. 

Very  respectful!}', 

P.  C.  HARRIS, 
The  Adjutant  General." 
From  Secretary  Baker. 

Washington,  Nov.  20. — Secretary  of  War, 
Baker,  announced  that  the  Distinguished  Service 
Medal  has  been  awarded  to  Sergeant  Edgar  M. 
Hallyburton,  Co.  F,  16th  Infantry,  in  recognition 
of  service  performed  for  American  prisoners  while 
himself  held  in  a  German  prison  camp.  The 
citation  in  part  follows :  "Sergeant  Hallyburton, 
while  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  German  gov- 
ernment, took  command,  and  under  difficult  con- 
ditions established  administrative  and  personal 
headquarters,  organized  the  men  into  units,  billeted 
them  systematically,  established  sanitary  regulations, 
and  made  equitable  distribution  of  supplies.  He 
also  established  an  intelligence  service  to  prevent 
our  men  giving  information  to  the  enemy,  and  pre- 
vented the  enemy  introducing  propaganda.  His 
patriotism  and  leadership  under  trying  conditions 
were  an  inspiration  to  his  fellow  prisoners,  and 
contributed  greatly  to  the  amelioration  of  their 
hardship." 

Satisfied  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that 


yo      LIFE  OF  SERGEANT  EDGAR  M.   HALLYBURTON 

my  readers  will  agree  with  me  when  I  say  Sergeant 
Hallyburton  deserves  all  the  praise  and  honor 
bestowed  on  him — satisfied  that  each  one  will  join 
me  in  wishing  for  him  a  long  life  of  peace  and 
plenty — it  gives  me  perfect  pleasure  to  announce 
that  shortly  after  his  resignation  as  a  soldier  was 
accepted  by  the  War  Department,  he  was  happily 
married  to  Miss  Jeannette  Dutchkee,  a  charming 
and  attractive  young  lady  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  and 
with  this  announcement,  my  story  of  him  comes  to 
THE  END. 


FRANK,    BROTHER   OF   SERGEANT   EDGAR    M. 

HALLYBURTON,    WHO    HAS  RECENTLY  DIED 

EROM    A    SHELL    WOUND    INELICTED    IN    A 

EIGHT     ON     THE     HILLS     OF     FRANCE- 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PRIVATE  FRANK  C.  HALLYBURTON. 

Born,  August  16,  1895. 
Enlisted,  September  19,  1917. 
Wounded,  October  20,  19 18. 
Died,  April  5,  1922. 

PRIVATE  FRANK  HALLYBURTON. 

THE  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Iredell 
County,  North  Carolina,  August  16,  1895,  and 
was  a  younger  son  of  Mr.  Geo.  B.  Hallyburton 
and  Mrs.  Prudence  Hallyburton  and  a  brother  of 
Sergeant  Edgar  M.  Hallyburton.  He  enlisted  in 
the  army  on  the  19th  of  September,  191 7,  and  was 
stationed,  while  in  training,  at  Camp  Jackson,  S.  C, 
and  Camp  Forest,  Ga.  He  served  with  distinction 
until  April  15,  1918.  He  reached  "somewhere  in 
France"  on  May  3,  19 18.  He  fought  with  courage, 
and  won  his  spurs  at  St.  Michael  on  the  western 
front  in  France,  at  Argonne,  and  in  the  trenches. 
At  the  battle  of  the  Argonne,  he  was  struck  on  the 

71 


j 2     life  of  private  Frank  c.  hallyburTon 

left  temple  with  a  piece  of  shrapnel  which  went 
through  his  helmet,  blinded  him,  but  did  not  knock 
him  down,  and  he  did  not  become  unconscious. 
Two  other  soldiers  who  were  with  him  were  struck 
by  the  same  piece  of  shrapnel.  These  three  gallant 
soldiers  walked  to  the  first  aid  station,  which  was 
over  a  mile  away,  after  being  wounded.  One  of 
them  had  never  been  in  a  battle  before,  and  com 
sequently,  was  somewhat  frightened  and  had  to  be 
led  by  Frank  and  the  other  soldier.  On  the  way, 
Frank  fell  on  his  head  while  crossing  some  wire 
entanglements.  Reaching  the  first  aid,  one  of  the 
soldiers  was  left  and  Frank  was  given  something  to 
eat,  and  received  an  injection  from  the  physician  to 
prevent  blood  poison.  From  this  place  he  was  sent 
to  base  hospital  No.  2  in  an  ambulance,  sitting  on 
the  fender  of  the  ambulance  over  the  front  wheel. 
At  eight  o'clock  that  night,  he  reached  the  base 
hospital,  and  for  want  of  proper  care  and  attention, 
slept  on  the  floor  in  wet  clothes.  At  four  o'clock 
the  next  morning  he  was  called  to  get  up  and  put 
on  an  operating  suit.  His  hands  and  feet  were  tied, 
and  two  men  held  him,  one  on  each  side,  while  he 
was  operated  on,  without  being  placed  under  the 
influence  of  an  anaesthetic.  At  nine  o'clock  that 
day,  he  was  sent  to  Vacuation  hospital,  which  was 
about  200  miles  away.  He  walked  from  the  hos- 
pital to  the  train,  and  sat  up  all  the  way  in  a  slow 
French  train.     After  reaching  Vacuation  hospital, 


PRIVATE   FRANK  C.    HALLYBURTON  /3 

he  remained  in  his  bed  for  a  week,  at  the  end  of 
this  week,  he  was  transferred  to  another  ward  with 
no  windows  or  doors,  and  had  to  sleep  on  the  floor. 
Every  day  he  would  go  to  the  surgeon  and  have 
his  wound  dressed.  One  morning,  not  long  after, 
he  went  over  and  a  nurse  took  off  his  bandage, 
examined  his  head,  and  told  him  he  could  go. 
At  this  juncture,  the  physician  in  charge  examined 
his  wound,  and  found  he  very  nearly  had  blood- 
poison,  and  sent  him  to  another  ward  where  there 
were  nurses,  and  here  he  was  in  bed  for  a  month, 
and  where  he  remained  for  three  months.  When 
the  armistice  was  signed,  he  was  sent  to  St.  Aignan, 
in  a  box  car.  and  assigned  to  casual  Company.  He 
remained  at  Brest  a  month,  and  then  was  sent  to 
the  United  States.  He  was  fourteen  days  on  the 
journey  and  reached  home  in  April  1919.  having 
spent  one  year  in  France. 

In  April  1920,  he  was  sent  by  the  U.  S.  govern- 
ment to  a  hospital  at  Richmond,  Va.,  and  was 
operated  on.  Discovering,  by  means  of  the  X-ray. 
that  the  operation  in  France  had  left  a  piece  of 
shrapnel  in  his  head,  and  finding'  a  piece  of  decayed 
bone.  After  recovering,  somewhat,  from  this 
operation,  he  returned  to  his  home  at  Taylorsville, 
X.  C,  where  he  remained  until  his  death,  which 
occured  early  Wednesday  morning,  April  5,  1922. 
His  was  an  untimely  death  which  came  as  a  relief 
after  suffering  much  mental  torture  through  con- 


74       LIFE   OF    PRIVATE    FRANK    C.    HALLYBURTON 

vulsions.  Physicians  did  all  that  medical  science 
could  do  to  prolong  his  life,  but  without  avail. 
Funeral  services  were  conducted,  Friday  afternoon, 
April  7,  at  the  Methodist  Church  by  the  pastor, 
Rev.  A.  R.  Bell,  assisted  by  Rev.  Pearson  of 
Stony  Point.  He  was  buried  with  full  military 
honors.  Members  of  the  Hurst  Turner  Legion  Post 
of  Statesville,  N.  C,  under  command  of  Lieutenant 
Godfrey  C.  Kimball,  composed  the  firing  squad, 
while  quite  a  large  number  of  ex-service  men  from 
Alexander  and  adjoining  counties,  attended  the 
funeral  services. 

Writing  of  his  death,  Dr.  W.  LeGette  says: 
"In  the  face  of  this  splendid  soldier,  there  were 
slight  signs  of  the  last  grim  struggle;  for  he  died 
from  the  secondary  effects  of  shrapnel  head-wound 
received  in  the  Argonne.  His  last  fight  for  home 
and  country  began  in  far  away  France,  and  ended 
here.  O,  it  hurts  to  lose  young  men  like  this,  but, 
as  I  looked  upon  his  firm  and  handsome  face,  as  he 
lay  dressed  in  uniform,  a  feeling  of  pride  and  ap- 
preciation, far  greater  than  grief,  arose  within  my 
heart, — he  represents  the  thousands,  who  like  him- 
self, made  the  "Supreme  Sacrifice",  and  the  tens  of 
thousands  who  were  ready  to  do  the  same." 

The  following  beautiful  and  touching  tribute 
first  appeared  in  The  Charlotte  (N.  C.)  Daily 
Observer,  and  was  written  by  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Ella  H. 
Lackey,  of  Hamlet,  N.  C. 


PRIVATE    FRANK   C.    HALLYBURTON  /5 

IN  MEMORY  OF  FRANK  C.  HALLYBURTON 
Fought  In  The  Argonne,  Wounded,  Dead. 

"Lights  out",  dear  comrade,  you  have  joined 

The  bivouac  of  the  dead 

That  still  keeps  match  on  Flanders'  Field, 

That  cannot  sleep,  though  poppies  blow 

Above  the  crosses,  row  on  row. 

Keep  watch,  keep  watch;  Let  not  the  foe 

You  died  to  conquer,  win  the  fight. 

You've  thrown  the  torch  to  comrade  hands. 

But,  oh,  keep  watch  throughout  the  night! 

You  cannot  sleep,  you  must  not  sleep 

While  children  starve,  and  mothers  weep. 

Carry  on!    Carry  on!    Lest  we  forget 

The  cause  for  which  he  died. 

The  War  God  shows  his  gory  head, 

He  is  not  dead,  he  is  not  dead! 

Oh,  comrade,  watch.    Let  not  the  bed 

Of  peaceful  slumber  zvoo 

You  from  our  ever  thinning  ranks. 

We  still  need  soldiers,  brave  and  true, 

God  grant  the  day  may  quickly  come 

When  war  shall  sign  a  last  release, 

Then  may  you  gladly  hear  us  say, 

"Lights  on,  dear  comrade,  rest  in  peace." 

The  following  tribute  from  the  pen  of  the 
Author  was  printed  in  the  Taylorsville  Times, 
Taylorsville,  N.  C,  Thursday  May  n,   1922: 


j6      LIFE   OP   PRIVATE   PRANK   C.    HALLIBURTON 

IN  MEMORY . 

In  the  tragic  play  of  life  another  bolt  hath 
fallen  and  the  hand  of  death  has  touched  the  once 
placid  heart  of  Frank  Halliburton  and  he  is  sleep- 
ing in  the  silent  city  of  the  death  beneath  a  wealth 
of  flowers.  Once  he  had  high  hopes,  noble  aspi- 
rations, and  life  seemed  as  bright  to  him  as  the 
afterglow  of  a  summer  sunset — as  hopeful  as  the 
arched  beauty  of  a  rainbow — but  he  heard  the 
sullen  crash  of  shot  and  shell — sensed  the  deadly 
fumes  of  poisoned  gas  and  aspirations  faded,  hopes 
grew  dim  and  life  nor  anything  else  ever  seemed 
the  same  again. 

Flowers?  Yes,  in  magnificent  profusion  they 
adorned  his  tomb — but  all  the  flowers  on  earth 
cannot  lesson  one  moment  of  the  grief  of  his  going 
— and  it  all  emphasizes  the  uncertainties  of  life — 
the  certainties  of  death — so  all  we  can  do  is  to 
leave  the  soldier  with  the  warrior's  God — believing 
it  is  well  with  his  soul. 

Following  his  honorable  discharge  from  the 
army,  he  received  the  following  official  recognition  ■ 

"Columbia  gives  to  her  son  the  accolade  of  the 
new  chivalry  of  Humanity.  Franklin  C.  Hally- 
burton,  Private,  Headquarters  Company,  nth  In- 
fantry, served  with  honor  in  the  World  War  and 
was  wounded  in  action." 

WOODRQW  WILSON,  Commander-in-Chief. 


private:  frank  c.  hallyburton  jj 

OUR  HEROES. 
The  Memory  Op  Our  Boys  Who  Died  For 
The  Peace  Of  The  World. 

Wifiter  saddens  all  the  landscape ; 

White  mists  rise  along  the  seas, 
Silvery  in  the  morning  coldness, 

Purpling  as  the  daylight  flees 
'Till  Night  on  her  ebon  tablets 

Writes  with  stars'  grand  mysteries. 

No  greetings  of  familiar  voices 

Fall  in  music  anywhere, 
Each  gale  and  wind  and  storm 

Breathes  but  a  melancholy  prayer ; 
And  the  bird  notes  all  have  vanished 

From  the  dewey  steeps  of  air. 

We  have  stilled  our  hearts'  mad  yearning 
As  the  lonely  days  sweep  'round ; 

And  we  watch  not  for  thy  coming, 
Listen  not  for  word  or  sound; 

But  our  souls  with  thine  keep  speaking 
In  Love's  mystic  hush  profound. 

How  delusive  was  our  dreaming. 

Blossom-like  with  sweetness  rife, 
In  the  spanning  rainbow's  beauty 

We  forgot  the  battle's  strife, 
For  a  tide  of  Hope  eternal 

Drifted  in  upon  our  life. 


yS      LIFE  OF   PRIVATE   FRANK    C.    HALLYBURTON 

Still,  like  white  pearls  underlying 
All  the  moaning  of  the  sea, 

Like  to  hidden  gems  enriching 
The  deep  mine's  obscurity, 

'Neath  our  spirits'  outward  seeming, 
Live  fond  memories  of  thee. 

Fain  we  would  throw  off  the  fetters, 
Now  so  dim  with  earthly  rust, 

Gather  up  Love's  wasted  jewels — 
Scattered  pearls  of  faithful  trust, 

And  drop  down  with  Freedom's  heroes 
'Neath  the  sod  and  into  dust. 

Though  our  pathways  are  divergent, 
Thou  where  raptured  angels  stand, 

While  we  hear  no  strain  but  sadness 
With  the  dropping  of  Time's  sand; 

Yet  we  oft  are  gliding  closely 

For  warm  claspings  of  the  hand. 

So  is  joy  oft  wrung  from  sadness, 
And  I  bless  God's  power  divine 

That  no  lengths  of  grief  are  stretching 
To  thy  happy  life  from  mine; 

And  our  own  should  be  the  brighter 
For  the  Fame  that  rests  on  thine. 

— C.  W.  HYAMS. 


PRIVATE   FRANK  C.    HALLYBURTON  79 

The  author  of  the  above  tribute  to  the  heroic 
dead  of  the  World  War  takes  heartfelt  pleasure  in 
especially  dedicating  it  to  the  sacred  memory  of  his 
friend,  Frank  C.  Hallyburton, 


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